Reader Reviews
Entertaining Mr Sloane (Trafalgar Studios (previously the Whitehall), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | This is an excellent revival, particularly for Imelda Staunton's fresh interpretation of Kath. Rather than the usual caricature, we get a deeply intelligent interpretation which is as sad as it is funny - a masterclass in acting. In all the fuss about Matthew Horne's casting, the fact that Simon Paisley Day and Richard Bremmer are also both superb seems to have been lost. Horne himself was ill, but his understudy Fergus March did very well indeed. Peter Macintosh's highly detailed period set just oozes early 60s. A treat. - Gareth James | 07 Apr 09 |
| Saw …well part of… the matinee on 2 April . First act was EXCELLENT. And I got a very pleasant surprise that Mathew Horne was very very good in the part. The rest of the cast very good as well and Imelda Staunton, quite superb as Kath. I am sure that Joe Orton would have approved. Then disaster struck…..after a more than long interval we started second act and after about 10 minutes Mathew Horne collapsed on stage and the play was brought to a halt. Ambulance was called and Imelda Staunton, clearly very distressed, tearfully announce the play would have to be cancelled. As we left the auditorium, Mathew Horne was still collapsed on stage being given oxygen by ambulance staff. I do hope he is OK because he was up until that point, giving a very good performance. - David | 02 Apr 09 |
| There is a dreadful void at the centre of this production and its name is Mathew Horne. He resembles not so much a louche, dangerous, sexy, charismatic young loner as an escapee from a special needs college with a dreadful Northern accent that wanders all over the place. Poor Imelda Staunton and Simon Day resort to pantomime and over-acting to try and compensate for the vacuum with which they are forced to share the stage. I left at the interval. - Quentin | 02 Apr 09 |
| Really good acting from Imelda Staunton who at times is mesmerising. She masks my reservations about this one. The characters have no redeeming features in a play which left me feeling angry and annoyed by the end. That final smile as the lights dim from Imelda Staunton's character sums up the sinister side of these characters. I am minded to think that there are many references here to Joe Orton's own life. I'm not entirely convinced by any of the supporting cast who deliver in fits and starts. It's my first Joe Orton so am glad I saw it, but not sure I'd see any other of his work? - Paul Wallis | 18 Mar 09 |
| Some of the previous reviewers are either too young to get it, or have had a sense of humour by-pass? Either way they have sadly missed out on a terrific revival of Orton's classic 1960's black comedy - and black it certainly is. I had forgotten how dark Orton's script can be. Imelda Staunton is stunning as the nymphomanic Kath who tragically debases herself at the feet of the ambiguous Mr Sloane, showing in the process how tragic her life is - one of confusion, lost love and missed opportunities. Matthew Horne is pitch perfect as Mr Sloane conveying the right amount of arrogance, insolent charm and sexual ambiguity. Dada played by Richard Bremmer and Ed,Simon Paisley Day, ably support them as finally Kath turns the tables on them all. A cracking revival then of of a 60's classic. Brilliant! - rds | 13 Mar 09 |
| It started averagely and went downhill. My interest gradually waned as the production lost the plot. Matthew Horne's Mr Sloane came from the wooden school of acting. Imelda Staunton hammed it up with aplomb but is 10 years too old for the part of Kath. Simon Day sort of conveyed pent up sexual frustration combined with a larg dollop of Basil Fawlty. In fact, Richard Bremner as Dada was possibly the most convincing. Combined with the fact that the Trfalgar Studios are horrendously uncomfortable and this made for a less than average night out. - Nigel Brahams | 11 Mar 09 |
| Two and a half hours in the West End's most uncomfortable theatre proves that a little of Joe Orton goes a long way after seeing Loot at the Tricyle last month. At least Loot is funny; Sloane is just vile misogyny. Imelda Staunton and Simon Day do their best with monstrous characters, which just about earns a second star, but at times I even began to think that the Lord Chancellor's censorship might not have been so bad after all. - David Baxter | 12 Feb 09 |
| This production is absolutely top notch. Great direction and set design (the atmosphere judged just right) and some beautiful performances.Imelda Staunton is thrilling to watch (especially in a see-through nighty) and Simon Paisley Day almost steals the show. If Matthew Horne is somewhat disappointing, it could be because the character is underwritten, but the play as a whole totally stands up and delivers some killer laughs. I must say this production comes as a relief after some recent duds this month. - LLKK | 30 Jan 09 |
| Yet another TV comic proves he can't act and insults the intelligence of the rest of the esteemed cast and us mugs in the audience that were stupid enough to pay for the privilege. The rest of the cast are fantastic. - joesmith | 26 Jan 09 |
| I saw this at a preview and I hope Matthew Horne improves. He was underpowered and not the charismatice centre of the play that he ought to be in order to make the play work. However, Imelda Staunton is magnficent. And Simon Paisley Day (didn't he used to be just Simon Day?) and Richard Bremner are very impressive. - fred | 25 Jan 09 |
| An enjoyable evening, faithfully done if a bit dated. Staunton is as good as you'd expect and Simon Paisley Day is wonderful. But I'd agree with the previous poster that such a thin play (with inexperienced direction) doesn't merit the hefty West End price tag - dgr | 23 Jan 09 |
| Yeah, OK, quite entertaining in many parts, but quite a drag in others, Fabulous performances from Imelda Staunton, a very wooden from Matthew Horne unfortunately. The second interlude caught many by surprise and a few people had to rush back to their seats for the third scene. I would say if you can get a cheap ticket then this will kill three hours on a wet evening, but don't lose any sleep if you don't get to see it. Overall, a shame. - Tom Murray | 23 Jan 09 |
