Absent Friends

Synopsis

Welcome to a tea party you'll never forget, as Alan Ayckbourn's classic comedy of manners and social embarrassment, Absent Friends serves up a slice of deliciously black humour at the Harold Pinter Theatre!

When Colin loses his fiancée, his married friends invite him round for comfort over tea and sandwiches. As the tea starts to pour, it's clear that trouble is brewing with a wickedly funny blend of jealousy, infidelity and barely concealed loathing. Tension starts to boil and maybe Colin isn't the one who needs help... with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Directed by the critically-acclaimed Jeremy Herrin, Absent Friends stars an astonishing cast of comedy talent from the worlds of stage, TV and film: David Armand (The Armstrong and Miller Show), Elizabeth Berrington (In Bruges, Waterloo Road), Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Season's Greetings), Steffan Rhodri (Gavin and Stacey), Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen, Betty Blue Eyes) and Kara Tointon (Pygmalion, EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing Winner 2010).

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 10 February 2012

The former Comedy Theatre is an appropriate venue for Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends, a 1974 play – the very first of his bleaker mini-masterpieces - that is not so much funny as cruel, disconcerting and, well, rather Harold Pinter in a suburban sort of way.

The old Richard Briers role of the bereaved Colin, who turns up for a tea party organised by misguidedly sympathetic friends, is wonderfully well taken by the blinking, bespectacled Reece Shearsmith, wearing a beige jacket and plum-coloured trousers that are too long and too baggy for him.

It’s a very funny turn, stylistically abrasive against Ayckbourn’s writing but persuasive on its own terms. There’s a new wave of Ayckbourn performance, signalled by the National’s Season’s Greetings with Mark Gatiss and Catherine Tate, as well as this show’s brilliant Katherine Parkinson, which challenges a more traditiona...

Read more of the review

Latest User Review

Steven - 2 April 2012:

It's certainly no surprise that the glowing reviews come from those who fondly remember the 70s, as that's where this is stuck. Not really for those who are not from that era. I think very few young(ish), casual theatre go-ers will enjoy this. From a 30s view-point, i found it to be slow, featuring one dimensional characters, displaying an out of date humour, which not even better acting could save....

Read more and add your own review

Related Whatsonstage.com Articles

Theatregoers meet Absent Friends at Whatsonstage.com Q&A 1st Night Photos: Ayckbourn greets West End Friends Review Round-up: Absent Friends is a hit at the Pinter Hitting the headlines Opening: Stranger, Master Class, Devil & Absent Friends Ridley joins revival ranks Photos: Cast of Ayckbourn's Absent Friends in rehearsal Photo: First Pic of Cast for Ayckbourn's Absent Friends Tointon & Shearsmith Return to West End in Ayckbourn's Friends More»