Reader Reviews
The Late Henry Moss (Almeida Theatre, West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Dreadful. The acting, script and direction were all dire - the only thing to be said for it was the set! What on earth were the Almeida doing putting this on in the first place? Staggeringly over acted to the point of becoming a macabre pantomime. Surely black actors deserve to be given better material, which does not patronise or pigeon hole them, than this. And one other thing what was it with the clunky accents? It was an African 'ello 'ello. The incredibly slow response to applaud at the close of the first act tonight was a clear sign of what the audience thought of it. - rds | 21 May 10 |
| To be honest, I am not really a fan of testosterone-driven drama like this, despite the fact that much of Shepard's dialogue here crackles, and there is clearly a strong connection between the writer and his theme of the warring brothers and their drunken loser of a father. Michael Attenborough's production is superb: atmospheric, pacey, tense. Brendan Coyne's older brother and Trevor Cooper as his walking dead Dad could scarcely be bettered. Andrew Lincoln as the tortured younger brother didn't work for me: I thought him posturing, self-indulgent, only intermittently convincing. Two remarkable supporting performances steal the show: Simon Gregor's good-hearted, effete Hispanic neighbour, and Jason Watkins' gormless cab driver....both are sensational. Flaminia Cinque as the only woman gets alot of mileage out of an underwritten role, maybe more symbol than true character. All in all, a rewarding evening and a strong piece of theatre. I just wish I'd enjoyed it a bit more. - 195.82.123.181) | 18 Feb 06 |
| Though the play's structure sometimes make it complex and confusing, the production is riveting from start to finish and yes it is funny ! The performances are faultless and Michael Attenborough's production is impeccable. It is a better play than the somewhat slight 'God of Hell' and I doubt it could get a better production. - 86.130.216.227) | 10 Feb 06 |
| I thought this was a very enjoyable production. The cast was really strong as an ensemble and at times it was laugh-out-loud funny, especially in the first half. Jason Watkins was very funny as the put-upon cab driver. I disagree with Theatresquirrel's comments about Andrew Lincoln's voice being soft - I thought he was unrecognisable vocally and found a believably harsh tone for this hard-bitten character. All in all a rewarding and entertaining evening. - 132.185.240.121) | 02 Feb 06 |
| I don't think I saw the same show as Mark Shenton. For starters, it's not very funny at all, not remotely as funny as The God Of Hell, not even close - though in fairness it's not really trying to be funny. It is a momentously tedious play, chewing similar fat to earlier Shephard plays which all had so much more flavour. This goes nowhere, does nothing, has a half-hearted flirt with magic realism and fizzles out. Everyone I know who's seen it is peeved that things like this get onto such prestigious stages just because the writer's written other good stuff. Surely there are better new plays out there, more artful, more ambitious, more engaging. When the Almeida read it did they actually think this had something new or worthy or engaging to say? Really? And please don't liken it to the subtle, fresh Six Feet Under. The brothers here spar like the brothers in that hokey old Ron Howard movie Backdraft. It's utterly stale. And though it has music from the ever-impressive Adam Cork, and a great set, and the supporting cast are all nicely turned, there is a huge hollow in the centre. Andrew Lincoln can't be blamed for taking the part, but he hasn't even vaguely the gristle required for a damned, tortured anti-hero like Shephard's. One kept hearing his soft voice trying to plunge into something deeper and coming up sounding like a Barclays ad. He's great for Egg roles, but not this. It's the biggest piece of miscasting I've seen in years. Sadly, a very plain show. Shephard to me has never seemed so dull. - 194.81.216.130) | 24 Jan 06 |
