Scandaltown

Masked Ball Bounce-Back

Scandaltown

by Mike Bartlett

Putney Theatre Company, at the Putney Arts Theatre until 23^rd March

Review by Heather Moulson

What can be said about a restoration comedy that sits comfortably with reality shows, iPads and make or break social media?!  Simply that it is an irresistible piece of writing, and that the cast of twelve are bold, colourful and outrageous.  The farcical humour and rhyme is wickedly funny.  

Scandaltown starts vibrantly with a put-upon aunt seeking solace with the postman, and cleaning her teeth with cocaine, before leading us into the world of Lady Susan Climber and the strange but likeable Tory MP, Matt Eton, teetering on the cusp of changing lanes sexually and politically.   Alongside this is the fraught twin sister embracing lesbianism, and her libertine brother melting for the icy and beautiful Hannah Tweetwell.   We are given an insight into a sordid flat-share with Jenny Hood and Freddie Peripheral, the latter feeling overlooked despite flooring everyone with his lethal high heeled boots.  Then come the ruthless architype of Peter Media OBE and the coming of age for Tom Double-Budget, finally emerging from his mother’s shadow – Rosalind Double-Budget; plus the charismatic Sir Dennis Hodge.   The plot is breathtakingly absorbing, but never exhausting.  

The true catalyst comes at the end of act one after an outrageous masked party, where mistaken identities become sexual and life-changing turning points.   Although the later revelations are not altogether surprising, they do not hold back the beautifully put together production. 

Scandaltown is two and a half hours of a farcical picturing of human nature, astutely directed by Stuart Watson and excellently choreographed by Angela Botha.  Outstanding costume design by Lex Barbulescu, edgy lighting by Rich Evans and intense sound design by Simon Herd and Barney Hart Dyke notch up the action.

Aunty Julie-Rebecca de Souza, played by Sarah Perkins, is consistently upbeat, despite her lot, and Lucy Oglseby is convincingly earnest as twin sister Phoebe Virtue.  Katie Kelly is stunning as ruthless Hannah Tweetwell, and hedonistic Jack Virtue is played by a highly watchable Sammy Moore.  Flatmates Jenny Hood and Freddie Peripheral, Megan Good and David Lindley-Pilley respectively, are truly poignant and convincing. 

As Lady Susan Climber Louisa Pead has monumental stage presence all the way through.  Tom Sainsbury is hilarious and endearing to the end as Matt Eton MP.   Good performances by Roger Blitz, playing Peter Media OBE and the long suffering butler Carson, Emily Fellows as ruthless Rosalind Double-Budget and Roger Beaumont as the postman and powerful Sir Dennis Hodge complete an all-round entertaining cast.

The prolific author Mike Bartlett hit on the idea of a restoration-style comedy as an antidote to the theatre closures during Covid, and Scandaltown was born as a post pandemic celebration.  Be part of the fun and frolics; join the party quickly, masked or not.

Heather Moulson, March 2024

Photography by Rich Evans