Old Red Lion Theatre – until 24th May 2025
Reviewed by Ben Jolly
4****
The Sociable Plover returns to the Old Red Lion Theatre in a triumphant twentieth anniversary production. The two-hander thriller by Tim Whitnall premiered in June 2005 in the perfectly rustic and intimate space in Islington, subsequently going on to tour the world before returning to the scene of the crime from whence it sprang.
Avid bird watcher and The Weakest Link enthusiast, Roy Tunt is just one sighting away from completing his list of every bird species recorded in Britain. On this thunderous, cold December morning, he has decided that with the perfect conditions in place, today will be the day he succeeds in fulfilling his life-long goal. That is, until mysterious stranger, Dave arrives in a flash of thunder to invade both Roy’s space and mind. What follows is a thrilling and witty two-hander peeling back the layers and back stories of these two individuals, gaining insight into their history and psyche, resulting in dramatic conclusions.
With a closed space and time setting, this pressure cooker of a play does not disappoint with its eerie psychological setup and humorous dialogue. As with any two-hander, the balance in chemistry between the two leads is crucial. Calum Lill as Dave executes the spot-on realism with a clean precision that is required for the space. He discovers every nuance and emotional beat within the material and has the ability converse with matter-of-fact suave only to raise the stakes within a single breath when the plot calls for. Jack Robertson is immensely charismatic in his portrayal of Roy; his characterisation choices result in a wonderful and loveable amalgamation of Hyacinth Bucket and Roy Cropper. The performance from Robertson sometimes overshadows Lill’s more nuanced performance resulting in a shift in balance throughout, however, the two actors are eventually in-sync as the play reaches the denouement.
Under the direction of Christa Harris, this wonderfully paced and concise 70-minute play never lingers or dwindles. Every moment is both necessary and entertaining, successfully delivering a truly nail-biting theatrical evening.