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The Review - THEATRE by NATALIE LI
Published: 3 December 2009

Rendezvous with lazy predictability

THE PRIORY
Royal Court Theatre

IMAGINE being stuck in the middle of the country with some of your closest friends over New Year’s Eve.
What better way to see in the fresh year, you might think.
But in Michael Wynne’s new seasonal drama, it spells disaster.
Seven successful thirty-somethings gather into Robert Innes Hopkins’ lavish set, a spooky country retreat (nothing to do with the rehab clinic) to celebrate the evening.
They are led by writer Kate, still raw from a failed relationship, while her gay friend Daniel
lends a sympathetic ear.
The rest of the gang soon land up to eat, drink and be merry.
Covering the spectrum of stereotypes – from the tottering, superficial Laura (Charlotte Riley) to snooty, successful mum Rebecca (Rachael Stirling) – it’s hardly the rich melting pot of society.
Instead what follows is a disappointing two hours of predictable drama.
Selling itself as a “buoyant new comedy” taking a “microscope” to modern society, it did little but peer lazily into the lives of a bunch of snotty-nosed middle class media types.
The second half manages to salvage lost interest, but by this point it is too late.
More digging and a wider exploration of the characters could have raised this to higher realms.
Until January 9
020 7565 5000

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