Two heroes; long forgotten but pillars of an epoch. On a simply set stage, Hollywood silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks waits for his friend Charlie Chaplin in a heavenly restaurant. He’s been waiting for over 37 years; Fairbanks passed in 1939 and Chaplin in 1977. At some point around 1900, Charlie Chaplin trod the boards of the Gaiety Theatre in Leith with the clog dancing troupe ‘The Eight Lancashire Lads’. Chaplin enters and alludes to this connection as Fairbanks takes us on a potted history of his life in the movies.
From the first moment this is highly engaging theatre. Lit with two large defined circles of light, two chairs and a table of expected restaurant props, Gerardo Cabal leans back confidently and brings a suave charm and subtle nuance to his version of Fairbanks. Wearing large hooped earrings and a bandana his costume and style embodies the bravado and vanity of a silent movie hero. His stories are endearing and his characterisation considered and consistent. He could be arrogant and unlikeable, but he isn’t a caricature; he’s pining for the friend he changed the World with. Writer Paul Stone’s version of the man portrays a lonely soul. Cabal contributes massively to the execution of this ideal as he reflects on a career long past with tales of swashbuckling, love and claims of being the inspiration for the original comic book superheroes, Batman and Superman. As Cabal jokingly explains their authors were of course inspired by his screen presence in silent classics such as Robin Hood and The Mask Of Zorro. Frequent moments of self-deprecation and internalisation keep the humanity factor ever present in this piece and this is what keeps you watching.
The naïveté of Cabal’s reflections hold your attention. Reminiscences are acted in a genuine thoughtful manner but there is a clever device in play that really brings all this together and largely goes unnoticed. This consideration alone highlights its efficacy; it’s present but you don’t have to follow it if you’d rather focus on Fairbanks.
Simon Lawrence portrays Chaplin. As we hear Cabal deliver classic anecdotes of a wild past, Lawrence counteracts the stories with a dumbshow that compliments the action at every step. This is smart direction from Paul Stone; stories that are a little too drenched in vanity are instantly muted with a foil; the antics of Chaplin as lifted straight from his repertoire of silent movies.
People forget that the toothbrush moustache and bowler hat image of the man was his act. He wasn’t this persona in reality so a clean shaven, suited Lawrence works perfectly to reinforce the solemn mood of two men reuniting in friendship after decades apart. The dialogue given to Chaplin throughout is sparse and effectively delivered when required but that doesn’t matter; there’s another show going on here and that clever device helps this play enormously.
Hollywood is a love letter to the studio system and silent films of old. They are a period of moviemaking that have led filmmaking and commercial art to where it stands today. Writer and director Paul Stone’s play works on multiple levels. Through the evidential character research it reflects on the ethos of an era and details a friendship that most people probably weren’t aware of. As a whole the piece is informative but doesn’t preach. It covers the essential ground needed to grasp the soul of this time period whilst giving the two performers the opportunity to explore two greats of Hollywood’s golden age from an angle of empathy and reflection.
If you’re a fan of the Golden age of Hollywood, this play is for you. It gets in and gets out with poignancy. If you enjoy strong acting within the construct of a tight script and considered direction, this is a play to highly recommend.
Reviewer: Al Carretta
Reviewed: 19th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: