Worth a Flutter

Hope Theatre

Reviewed – 8th May 2018

★★

“a clunky affair that shows potential one minute and turns to being unbearable to watch the next”

 

Being above a pub to watch the Cockney caper, Worth A Flutter, seems a rather appropriate setting. The play may take place mostly in the local caff, and in South London, but it could quite easily be a scene in the Queen Vic, in an episode of Eastenders. I should feel guilty going straight for the working-class London play/Eastenders comparison, however, the fact that this production is filled with gender and social stereotypes I feel it only deserves some pigeonholing itself. A dark comedy that examines the love lives of a select group of Londoners, Michael Head’s Worth A Flutter is a clunky affair that shows potential one minute and turns to being unbearable to watch the next.

Aforementioned, the play is set in and around the comings and goings of a greasy spoon in Bermondsey. Following the romantic troubles of Matt (played by Head himself) and Sam (Jack Harding), both trying to pursue café waitress, Helen (Clare McNamara), neither party knows they’re in a race for Helen’s affections. Both men are in loveless relationships and whilst drowning their sorrows in cups of tea and brown sauce, find comfort, laughter and sparks with the down-to-earth, easy to talk to waitress.

The first half sees Matt’s story take centre stage, reminiscing to the audience about his past failures with women in his cheeky chappy manner. Generally the first fifty minutes submits to most of the bawdy and blokey humour (a Scottish talking penis says it all), which found some laughs, but only a slight chuckle at most from myself. After the interval gives way to a more thoughtful and affecting change of pace as Sam is provided a chance to explain his story. Harding and McNamara give credible turns as Sam and Helen, offering the most genuine and heart-felt performances of the play, as they tackle the topics of domestic abuse and the hardships of marriage with sincerity. Scenes between the two of them are certainly the most engaging.

Michael Head has based many of the characters and plot lines on the friends and family members of his own life, which makes for criticising the at times sexist, and most certainly caricatured humour that more difficult, as it is founded on real life. Head tries to make up for this by having the protagonists call attention to the other characters vulgarity, not condoning their behaviour, but nevertheless, it lacks the heart and likeability needed to counterbalance the coarse humour.

The actors do a fine job at persevering and making the most out of the script. Reading between the lines, you can see where Head is trying to take this, but his execution for the majority is off point. The quirky abstract scenes have good intentions but fall flat, whilst the theme of life being a race filled with betting stakes could be heightened further. All in all, Worth A Flutter is not a horse that I would be putting my money on.

 

Reviewed by Phoebe Cole

 

Worth a Flutter

Hope Theatre until 19th May

 

Related

Previously reviewed at this venue

My Gay Best Friend | ★★★★★ | January 2018

Foul Pages | ★★★ | February 2018

Cream Tea & Incest  | ★★★★ | April 2018

 

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com