Reader Reviews
Shoot the Crow (Trafalgar Studios (previously the Whitehall), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | 2005 started well for comedies in the West End with The Anniversary and Losing Louis but things have been less amusing recently with some severe disappointments, Mamet's Romance being by far the worst. So it's pleasing to find that Shoot the Crow is genuinely funny. At times this story of four tilers bungling a heist recalls the classic days of ealing Studios. It is also a play of some depth and perfectly captures the banter and underlying tensions of work "mates" who loathe each other almost as much as the job itself. The four man ensemble are uniformly excellent and one scene involving a tea mug superbly encapsulates the petty spitefulness (or spiteful pettiness) of any workplace, from a building site to office. This is a true ensemble piece but James Nesbitt is the marquee name. His character, Socrates, is a million miles from Adam in Cold Feet but Nesbitt still oozes his legendary charm but also conveys Socrates' determination not to repeat the mistakes of his own father. Conleth Hill's Petesy is a manipulative bully and the true quality of his performance does not fully emerge until a moving penultimate scene of unforseen loyalty. Shoot the Crow contains many moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity but also many others that will remain in the memory when the laughter has faded. - 62.6.139.13) | 07 Nov 05 |
| I really enjoyed it - very witty and superbly performed - 212.158.229.242) | 04 Nov 05 |
| Wonderfully observed performances and superbly written dialogue. Conleth Hill yet again shows he is a brilliant actor. The only shame is that it is in the Trafalgar Studios when it ought to be in a much smaller venue. - 80.177.231.164) | 19 Oct 05 |
| Just because a play is Irish doesn't mean it's witty or lyrical and just because a play is Northern Irish doesn't mean it's gritty with earthy characters. London critics might think this is vital stuff from a conflict zone, but I think it's mawkish, sentimental, lazy rubbish. - 80.47.230.43) | 13 Oct 05 |
| Though there's much to enjoy in the performances and the dialogue, it's a very slight play and seemed like a long 90 minutes. Nowhere near as good as his Scenes from the Big Picture, not even as good as Closing Time or his adaptation of Days of Wine and Roses. Good to see James Nesbitt on stage, though. - 81.129.0.169) | 13 Oct 05 |
| Not an amazing production but cetainly an entertaining one. Although i felt the script was a lttle weak at points the actore certainly made the most of the parts they were given. James Nesbitt was a little too Adam (cold feet) but Conleth Hill stole the show with a cracking performance. Overall a very amusing night. - 86.135.87.9) | 05 Oct 05 |
