Basket Case

Synopsis

When Miranda and her ex-husband Guy are drawn back together by the ill health of their elderly pet dog Toby, a fast-paced exchange of accusations begins. Joined in turn by genial vet Martin and long-time family friend James, this rapid-fire foursome mines belly laughs and touching observations in equal measure as the sanctity of family life is torn apart. Basket Case is a perfectly crafted, quick witted contemporary comedy, which rips the lid off a so-called "civilised modern divorce and reveals the dark and complex emotions that lurk beneath.

Our Review:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 14 November 2011

By the time the curtain falls on Nick Fisher’s first stage play, you feel that dog Toby – the nominal title character – has had a lucky escape to those great hunting grounds in the sky. Not that the script isn’t extremely funny; it is, and Fisher has drawn some all-too recognisable characters (recognisable, that is, from other comedies if not from most people's lives).

We’re in the kitchen-diner of a barn conversion, complete with glowing red Aga (at times it all seems like an exercise in product placement). This former marital home is the prize which Miranda’s divorce from Guy has earned, even if a couple of decades of betrayal have led up to it. Toby is literally on his last legs and sympathetic vet Martin is prepared to perform the necessary act of mercy.

Then she summons Guy (after all, they shared the dog) – and you realise that he’s as much a “basket case” (in the colloquial sense) as the canine. The ...

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Latest User Review

Bev Emery - 17 November 2011:

Saw it at Cambridge on the 16/11/2011. A few laughs but very disappointed in the script. ...

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