Present Laughter – National Theatre Live: The Old Vic

Filmed live during its sell-out run at The Old Vic in 2018, director Matthew Warchus’ multi-award winning production of Noël Coward‘s provocative 1943 comedy delightfully returns to the big screen, as it depicts a few days in the life of the successful and self-obsessed light comedy actor Garry Essendine (Andrew Scott) as he prepares to travel for a touring commitment in Africa.

Amid a series of events bordering on farce and with the support of a knowing valet Fred (Joshua Hill) and a housekeeper Miss Erikson (Liza Sadovy), he has to placate both his long-suffering secretary Monica (Sophie Thompson) and his wife Liz (Indira Varma) who form part of his inner circle along with Morris (Abdul Salis) and Helen (Suzie Toase), whilst in this updated gender swap version, also fighting off the attention of those trying to seduce him which includes Joe (Enzo Clienti), Daphne (Kitty Archer), and Roland (Luke Thallon). But amidst the accompanying hysteria and histrionics, does anyone truly know the real Garry, including himself?

Coward considered the character of Essendine as a caricature of his own real-life persona, and with his inimitable quick-witted writing style, there is a lot of humour generated from a luvvie whose life is apparently spinning dangerously out of control that still resonates strongly today.

Rob Howell’s 1930’s art deco style set perfectly presents the living room within and around which the action unfolds with simple finishings keeping the staging uncomplicated and creating clear spaces for the cast, all of whom who perform strongly with carefully balanced and believable performances that draw out the right pitch of delivery to support the unravelling farce whilst avoiding the risk of going over the top.

Sadovy is suitably mixed up as the Scandinavian spiritualist housekeeper and offers a further turn as Lady Saltburn, Daphne’s wheelchair-bound grandmother, whilst Hill is superb as the cocksure valet. Thallon’s new age playwright from Uxbridge is intense in every sense of the word whilst Archer’s young thing is suitably flouncy and not to be put off in her pursuit.

Toase’s Helen is brash and ballsy whilst Salis perfectly embodies a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown’ The menage is completed by Cilanti who thrusts this adaptation well and truly into the 21^st Century which just goes to show how great writing can stand the test of tide and time.

They say that behind every great man there is a greater woman and here we have two very strong performances: Thompson’s shrewd secretary provides just the right amount of maternal instincts whilst keeping the precocious Garry grounded, whereas Varma’s sort of ex-wife is faithfully protective of him but for whose good one is left to wonder.

And so to the star himself: Scott’s certainly and deservedly remains on the rise with his outstanding performance of Garry Essendine perfectly captures the multi-faceted nature and demands of a spoilt and petulant actor who is so subsumed in what everyone wants of him that he rides the rollercoaster of a wave unendingly without ever facing up to the reality of who he is or what he wants, other than not to be alone and forced to face up to the reality of his life.

Essendine is an anagram of neediness and amidst Coward’s wonderful wit and repartee performed delightfully here, this play carefully holds up a mirror and asks us to consider what is we really want, with this production proving somewhat timely as the pandemic that was to follow shortly after asked very much the same thing with more of a jolt when hands could no longer reach out to touch in need or support.

Reviewer: Mark Davoren

Reviewed: 18^th July 2024

North West End UK Rating: