Coalition

Synopsis

It's late 2014 and Britain's coalition government has only six months left to run. The Conservative Prime Minister and his Lib Dem Deputy haven't spoken for months, the economy has flat-lined and government MPs are threatening to defect right, left and centre. With his time running out and having sold off his party HQ, Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matt Cooper has to make a series of last, desperate gambles to save the party he loves...

Our Review:

22 February 2013

It’s a very familiar scene. The Lib Dems are in coalition government with the Tories. The Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister, Matt Cooper is struggling. Thom Tuck as Cooper squirms, wriggles, cajoles, pleads, hectors, curses, shouts and whispers to great comic effect – every inch a senior politician out of control and his depth in the time honoured Jim Hacker tradition. It’s a real tour de force for Tuck who dominates the stage and is rarely off it.

As Cooper’s foil, the softly spoken (actually some of her punch lines are inaudible) Jessica Reagan as Special Advisor, Claudia Hood gives us a long suffering, all knowing, perceptive woman whose stage stillness counterbalances Tuck’s antics well. She too is a near continual on stage presence.

Phill Jupitus is fun as the gliding, oily, camp, outrageous but rapier-like Sir Francis Whitford, especially in his scenes with Jo Caulfield who plays a gravelly, nothing-much-gets-past-me Chi...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Teresa Buckingham - 22 February 2013:

A really great show. Excellent performances with a cracking script, full of extremely funny one-liners and visual gags. A perfect evening's entertainment....

Read more and add your own review

Related Whatsonstage.com Articles

Opening: Partridge & Strallen in A Chorus Line, The Tailor Made Man & McAvoy's Macbeth More»