Absent Friends

Synopsis

The play is about Diane, who is unhappily married to Paul, a bullish control freak. She throws a tea party for one of their old friends, Colin, whose fiancée has recently died, and invites her daffy best friend Marge. Whilst one of the significant absences onstage is straightforwardly humorous - as Marge takes a series of telephone calls from her husband, who manages to suffer endless misfortunes even when confined to his bed - the tone is primarily set by Colin's rhapsodising about his recently deceased fiancée. Into this come John, his new wife Evelyn and their baby Wayne. Stage by stage things start to go wrong and ultimately Diana loses it and has a breakdown both on and off stage. In true farce style she leaves a trail of wreckage behind her, both physical and emotional.

Our Review:

Anne Morley-Priestman - 27 February 2012

1974 seems to be in a different time zone to 2012. Yet, as with most things which seem merely to be past history, there are human aspects which never change. Alan Ayckbourn is a master at winkling these into the forefront of our perception. Gari Jones’s new production does very well by what – with hindsight – might be seen as the playwright’s turning-point drama.

Absent Friends proceeds at a spanking pace as two marriages unravel in front of us, one looks likely to slip off the needle quite soon and the third (of course) never progressed from the pattern stage. It’s helped along by Foxton’s excellent set – all 1970s aspirational chic from the geometric wallpaper and curtains to the Costa-inspired metal and glass doors – and costumes. So we encounter [Diana (Amanda Haberland) as an all-but clone for Beverly in Mike Leigh’s near-contemporary Abigail’s Party.

It’s a delicious performa...

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