“In a flat in East London the party preparations are under way, each detail meticulously planned, including the birthday cake and surely nothing can wrong”. “After all there is the specially chosen guest of honour and a very sharp knife”.
Ridley’s play is dark, funny and extraordinarily captivating. The Fastest Clock in the Universe written by Philip Ridley in 1992 “became an early example of ‘in your face’ creative theatre” with a design to shock and unsettle audiences rather than comfort them. The story centres around a cast of five people, with interwoven nuanced lines and evolving deep meaning of life experiences, aging and opportunistic revenge.
The plot centres on Cougar Glass played by Frederick Russell a man celebrating his 19th birthday ‘again, a man plagued by father time as he grapples with aging. Cougar lives with Captain Tock, Brian Aris. Theirrelationship is marred with narcissism, mutual protection and misguided judgement. Cougar befriends Foxtrot Darling, Kim Whatmore who hemeets in hospital when Darling is visiting his dying older brother. Alongside Foxtrot is Sherbet Gravel,a suspected girlfriend? No! the woman is his brother’s girlfriend.
Cougar’s sinister plan is to seduce 16yr old Foxtrot Darling when he attendshis birthday party, however this party vibe becomes more twisted when Cougar’s special friend Darling does not arrive alone. The story lines at times are brutal, direct and this black comedy gradually mutates into a psychological thriller. Cougar’s obsession with youth is almost tragic and yet so familiar. Its just that he, pushes this to the extreme.
The set design is staged in such a way that you feel you are in their home, sitting uncomfortably surrounded by a lounge sofa, kitchen table and garniture of birds.
Bird song fills the air; light shadow of bird silhouettes and the captain’s love of birds fills the room. Each character transitions smoothly from line to line as the play progressed through time and motion. Including the landlady Cheetah Bee played by Karen Holley who pops in and out to calm the messy waters. Stunning performances by all the actors and this play would have suffered without strong presence from the cast.
On the surface there is a pure menace, cruelty and obsessive vanity, but beneath all this you do need to dig deep to find the love and understand the experience of a person’s desperation to slow down the aging process of which ‘no one’ not even them, can postpone. There are scenes of violence, sexual content and strong language this play is not for the faint hearted but gritty, nonetheless.
Scenes moving as if in slow motion in act one which felt strange, but be prepared to be drawn in. Act two speeds up with gusto and punch. This play will not be everyone’s cup of tea for sure and will possibly divide the critics.
What is extraordinary is how relevant it feels today. Written and performed in 1992 “this multi-award-winning play The Fastest Clock In the Universe caused a sensation at Hampstead Theatre”. Thirty-four years later it feels as if it was written only yesterday.
Reviewer: Michelle Knight
Reviewed: 8th May 2026
North West End UK Rating:
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