Party Games! Malvern Theatres 25 to 29 June 2024 and UK tour. 2✩✩ Review: Hannah Phillips.

Photo Credit: Jason Callender.

Party Games! Malvern Theatres 25 to 29 June 2024 and UK tour.

2✩✩ Review: Hannah Phillips.

An Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Production

“Brexit, Covid, dismantling the NHS, sexism and micro-aggressions are just not funny!”

Was this going to be excellent timing, a new political comedy set in 2026 a week before the 2024 General Election? Party Games! timing is anything but excellent, we need more than generic throw away one liners, puns and political stereotypes. Brexit, Covid, dismantling the NHS, sexism and micro-aggressions are just not funny in 2024 or 2026. We lost our sense of humour around the political catastrophe we are living in a long time ago and this show with its numerous fart jokes and sound effects are not about to bring it back.

The new political satire is written by Michael McManus’ whose previous career was in Westminster as a Tory aide. McManus’ lived experience and inside information has clearly informed this new Yes, Minister style political theatre experience, directed by the Director of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Joanna Read where the show premiered. Ex-Tory MP, John Waggner is played by Matthew Cottle (of BAFTA nominated BBC sitcom Game On and Channel 4’s hit comedy The Windsors), although he is fictional, he is very familiar, as he repeats the line “strong but stable”, refuses to read the papers he is sent or respond to advice around lockdowns. Similarly, his wife is also recognizable, played by Natalie Dunne (Anna Schmidt in The Third Man at Menier Chocolate Factory). Waggner has become popular through a reality TV show and is the newly elected leader of the hastily formed centrist One Nation Party. He and his power-hungry MPs must cling onto power in any way they can which includes promoting a disliked and nonconformist Chief-of-Staff, Seth, convincingly played by Ryan Early (Coronation Street, The Arches) who begins by installing an AI unit inside Number 10 called ‘Medianne’ voiced by the brilliant comedy impressionist, Debra Stephenson (Bad Girls, Coronation Street, Holby City) who also plays Deputy Leader, Lisa Williams.

Unfortunately, the stellar cast— including a very strong performance by Krissi Bohn (Coronation Street) who plays Private Secretary Candice Edwards — can’t save the clumsy writing, direction and ill-timed set changes. The ever warm and open Malvern Theatres audience chuckled along and there was an appreciation for local references. However, many of us are tired, this is not set in the future, we have already watched this play and we don’t need to see it again, it wasn’t funny the first time.

Cast

Jason Callender – Luke

Matthew Cottle – John

Natalie Dunne – Anne

Debra Stephenson – Lisa / Voice of Medianne

Krissi Bohn – Candice

Ryan Early – Seth

William Oxborrow – Chief Whip & Multiple Roles

Shaun Chambers – Policeman and Understudy (Seth & Luke)

Alastair Chisholm – Understudy (John, Multiple Roles)

Erica Tavares-Kouassi - Understudy (Candice, Lisa, Anne)

Carolyn Quinn – Voice of TV Anchor

Simon Stallard – Voice of TV Reporter

Creatives

Written by Michael McManus

Directed by Joanna Read

Design by Francis O’Connor

Lighting Design - Chris Davey

Sound Designer and Composer- Beth Duke

Assistant Director - Haiqing Liang

Casting Director - Jane Deitch