Reader Reviews
Terrible Advice (Menier Theatre, Outer London)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Awful play. I thought Caroline Quentin looked embarrassed to be in it. There was no charm or wit and the main characters were too perfectly hideous to be in any way engaging. It was also really boring - which is more unforgiveable. - Katya | 17 Oct 11 |
| Women at the mercy of men's fixation with sex. Dull, obvious, irritating. Duff accents abound, a waste of the talent onstage. - N McElroy | 07 Oct 11 |
| What a great cast they've assembled here! Andy Nyman evolves from his scary Ghost Stories persona to convincingly embody a schlemiel, Stanley, who takes too much of his cool best friend, Jake's advice on board, in his relationships, to their detriment. Scott Bakula (Jake) is preternaturally young and good-looking, and lives a life as depraved as the one he encourages Stanley (who he patronisingly call Stinky) to live. Ironically, the advice that actually sparks trouble in the two men's relationship is surprisingly sound (if Stanley wants biological kids, and his girlfriend can't give him them, maybe "a clean break" IS in order!) The women in these men's lives are played by wonderful actresses (Sharon Horgan and Caroline Quentin), who milk the funny moments in the script. But this play ultimately does not commit to realism (like God of Carnage) or comic exaggeration (like One Man, Two Guvnors), so it does not pack the dramatic punch of the former, or get the belly laughs of the latter. The drama and the comedy both work at a 60 percent throttle, which makes for a fun but undistinctive night, where the main pleasure is seeing talented actors work. As a matter of interest, Saul Rubinek sat behind me, and looked and moved and sounded a LOT like Andy Nyman playing Stanley, but his tone of voice and words he spoke reminded me of Jake: he even called one person he knew "kiddo," like Jake does in the play. - Steve | 02 Oct 11 |
