THE FABULIST. To 9 December.

London
THE FABULIST
by Tim Whitnall

Old Red Lion 418 St John Street EC1V 4NJ To 9 December 2006
Tue-Sat 7.30pm
Runs1hr No interval

TICKETS: 020 7837 7816
www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk
Review: Sam Hall 23 November 2006

A familiar voice in a confused evening of farce and whodunit.
Tuffin's is a fading old-fashioned department store, “the West End at the east end of the District Line,” as a voiceover at the start of the play by comedy grande dame Fenella Fielding tells us. And the play itself – from Feather Produvtions, co-run by author Tim Whitnall and Anna Murphy - is rather old-fashioned in its story and style.

The Fabulist, Mr B, is not officially on the payroll, but operates from his own office on the sixth floor. He is an out of work actor, employed by the store as a fall guy (a part of the story inspired by a true story that came the writer’s way.) On its own, this would have been a strong enough story to carry the play.

However, with the appearance of a management consultant-cum-private detective the play transmutes into something aiming at a dark whodunnit, with the plot neatly tied up when it turns out an early angry customer (a very loud and scary Essex gangster’s moll type, played by Joanna Mays in fighting form) is linked to Mr B’s past in a murderous way.

Performances by all are good, especially ex-Ab Fab actor Paul Reynolds as the cocaine-fuelled, manic Lee Evans-style store manager, Rosie Wilkinson as the sweet beautician and Paul Goodwin’s high camp ex-luvvie. However, it’s as if they are all acting in different plays. This may be to do with the change of style; anyway, the characters never quite gell together in any believable fashion.

The set, making clever use of the Old Red Lion’s small performance space, is inventive and serves its multiple locations well, evoking Tuffins Department Store as more James Selby than Harrods.

There are plenty of laughs scattered throughout the play, and some really comic performances. However, The Fabulist comes over as an uneasy mixture of ‘Are You Being Served?’ and ‘The Bill’.

Mr Bartlett: Paul Goodwin
Twinkle: Rosie Wilkinson
Elliott Tuffin: Paul Reynolds
Madam: Joanna Mays
Susan Armstrong: Tessa Churchard
With the voices of Manju Malhi and Fenella Fielding

Director: Howard Ward
Designer: Eileen Diss

2006-11-27 00:43:42