FRENCH TOAST at Riverside Studios

★★★★

“It mocks pretty much everything about the industry, but it is also a heartfelt love letter to the theatre”

The French actor, director and writer, Jean Poiret, is best known for his 1973 “La Cage aux Folles”. He is perhaps less well known as a theatre and film actor before, making some forty motion pictures over three decades. You have to dig deep into his biography to come across the 1979 comedy. “Féfé de Broadway”. Writer Sam Alexander has obviously done so, and we can only thank him for that. His adaptation, that follows the backstage shenanigans of an ill-conceived musical, is a wonderfully light-hearted, eccentric and witty hour-and-a-half of escapism – now titled “French Toast”. There are going to be obvious comparisons to Michael Frayn’s “Noises Off” which was conceived around the same time this side of the English Channel. There are contrasts too. Alexander’s take on Poiret’s story (co-adapted with director Marianne Badrichani) draws a lot from the culture clash between the French ‘glamour’ and the British ‘eccentricity’. “French Toast” is indeed guilty of cramming itself full of stereotypes and caricatures, but the audience are willing victims of the crime.

Set in 1977, it focuses on French diva, Jacqueline Brémont (Edith Vernes). Rich and successful in her native Paris, she has decided to branch out and conquer London’s West End but instead lands up in Basingstoke. Old flame Simon Monk (Ché Walker) is directing an ill-fated musical adaptation of Jean Racine’s ‘Phèdre’. He has no intention of casting Jacqueline in the lead role – she can’t sing and dance to save her life. But money talks. Without her there’s no investment. What ensues is a farcical entanglement of egos during a hilarious stop-start rehearsal process. Clichés are pulled out of the hat like a manic conjuror on speed, but so are many moments of wit, humour, quirkiness and sharp comic observation that bring a huge smile to our faces. It mocks pretty much everything about the industry, but it is also a heartfelt love letter to the theatre.

You need to be exceptionally good to convince at being a bad actor. And this company have the collective talent to ham it up to the histrionic hilt. Ché Walker brilliantly encompasses the authoritarian director who has suddenly lost all control. The show is being cast behind his back. Walker’s stunned expression on day one of rehearsals is an image that will imprint itself on the mind for a long time. But to shake things up a bit, Simon Monk enrols punk musician Nicky Butler. Monk thinks of himself as a bit of a ‘right-on’ radical. Reece Richardson gives a star turn as the bewildered muso caught up in a thespian nightmare. Love interest comes via Suzy Kohane’s stylish yet earnestly ‘New Age’ Kate Freeman. Kohane’s is a standout performance, particularly when she sidesteps Paul Hegarty’s vividly accurate, camp yet lecherous Etienne Grémine. We are reminded that the seventies were ‘different times, darling!’ but a modern sensitivity is layered onto the narrative without detracting from the authentically period setting.

There is some doubling up of the roles. Josie Benson shines as budding actress Faye Rose but also a delicious Madame Bouffard, the diva’s dour dresser. The whole company is having so much fun, and Edith Vernes is no exception as the central figure Jacqueline. Despite a slightly clunky opening few moments, the show swiftly warms up. Touches of Alan Bennett’s ‘Habeas Corpus’ take the style dangerously close to farce, as trousers start to go missing, but other influences pull it back. The mayhem of ‘The Young Ones’ is visible through rays of ‘Morecambe and Wise’. Tara Young’s choreography is spot on with her playful nods to Fosse while Sammy Dowson’s costumes let us know exactly which year, if not month, of the seventies we are in.

Crucial to the piece is Leo Elso’s music. The lush escapism of disco locks horns with the raw energy of punk. Like the text, it parodies and cherishes at the same time with an authenticity that pinpoints the era in which The Village People and Abba could share the world’s stage with The Clash and The Sex Pistols. The culture shocks resonate throughout, up until the upbeat finale in which virtuosity and humour make a perfect marriage.

The play is peopled by people from different backgrounds, yet the comedy of misunderstandings ultimately leads to unexpected reconciliations and a feelgood factor that tips the scales. Like it’s culinary counterpart, “French Toast” is crisp on the outside but fluffy and tender on the inside. At times a little bit eggy, but delicious. A toast can definitely be raised – in French or in English.

FRENCH TOAST at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 7th October 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Lidia Crisafulli

Previously reviewed at this venue:

KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★ | September 2024

THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | August 2024

MADWOMEN OF THE WEST | ★★ | August 2024

MOFFIE | ★★★ | June 2024

KING LEAR | ★★★★ | May 2024

THIS IS MEMORIAL DEVICE | ★★★★ | April 2024

ARTIFICIALLY YOURS | ★★★ | April 2024

ALAN TURING – A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY | ★★ | January 2024

ULSTER AMERICAN | ★★★★★ | December 2023

OTHELLO | ★★★★ | October 2023

FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS | ★★★★ | October 2023

RUN TO THE NUNS – THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | July 2023

FRENCH TOAST

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★★★★

“a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story”

Most of us have a gut reaction to the question ‘Would you like to live forever?’ But once it subsides, we discover that it is impossible to answer. The quandary is as old as life itself: nobody wants to die, but nobody wants to live forever either.

The recent progress in genetic research has allowed scientists to discover ways of slowing down the ageing process. Without trying to go into detail (and thereby revealing the extent of my ignorance) it has something to do with cellular reprogramming and altering molecules that turn DNA on and off. A bit like restarting a computer. It works on worms. And mice. This is science fact. Enabling humans to live forever may still be science fiction, but only for about another decade, according to Emma Hemingford’s stylish and imaginative new play “Foreverland”.

There is the danger that tackling such a subject can lead to a rather dull essay involving the characters discussing abstract concepts. But Hemingford avoids all the potential clichés and truisms, and instead weaves the complexities and conundrums into a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story. One that centres on a romantic relationship that is instantly recognisable and relatable.

Jay (Christopher York) and Alice (Emma McDonald) are a couple in their thirties, about to embark on treatment to prolong their lives – perhaps indefinitely. It is a fairly risk-free surgical procedure, but pre-op nerves are kicking in. The treatment is irreversible. But there is a ‘get out’ clause later down the line. Both York and McDonald capture this essence perfectly in the opening scene, with humour and poignancy. Aided by Valerie Antwi’s deliciously cool and mockingly sympathetic Doctor Lane, we get a clear insight into the bonds, and the cracks, in their marriage; along with subtle, almost invisible, hints as to how the drama might unfold.

Director Frederick Wienand guides the play’s characters through specific leaps in time with effortless artistry. We fast forward a few years in a matter of seconds; scene changes flashing before us indicated by the performers’ evolving mannerisms and inflections, like the rapidly moving hands of the clock. Except in Jay and Alice’s world, the pressure of the clock has gone. The performances are captivating as the couple navigate their journey towards immortality. Is it idyllic or terrifying? In their own way, York and McDonald explore what having unlimited time does to them psychologically. Jay and Alice soon have a daughter (the wonderfully natural and dynamic Emily Butler), who soon grows up into the radical adult who questions her parent’s choices (Una Byrne). What does the promise of unlimited time mean for the world; socially, ethically, and politically? Byrne’s fiery influence not only shakes up the onstage characters, but it urges us all to take stock and consider our own views.

“Foreverland” can be seen as a parable for our time. One that goes far deeper than the ‘be-careful-what-you-wish-for’ résumé. We suddenly find ourselves in uncomfortable territory. Immortality, it seems, is only for the privileged. Progress only happens when people die. Big topics, but the writing condenses them into human emotions and domestic quibbles that resonate on a personal level. Not every emotion rings true, and there are a couple of moments when we are not sure what informs their decisions, but the performances remain powerful – right through to the heart-wrenching final scene. The silence that hovers above the audience reflects the stillness of the closing dialogue. Like the pause before the next heartbeat. There is one final choice to make.

Part fairy-tale, part docudrama, part sci-fi, part kitchen-sink, part love story, part comedy, part dystopia; but fully engaging, gripping, intelligent and funny. A fresh and intriguing take on one of mankind’s oldest obsessions. You might think you have all the time in the world, but don’t leave it too long to see this show.

FRENCH TOAST at Riverside Studios

★★★★

“It mocks pretty much everything about the industry, but it is also a heartfelt love letter to the theatre”

FRENCH TOAST at Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 7th October 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Lidia Crisafulli

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FRENCH TOAST

FRENCH TOAST

FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story”

FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 4th October 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Charlie Lyne

Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

FOREVERLAND

FOREVERLAND