Posh

This savage play, the feral exploits of a group of over-privileged university toffs, their adherence to a code of conduct based on wealth and lineage is, to a great extent, based on the existence in reality of such a club. A club that was very much in the news a few years ago concerning a then Prime Minister and the head of a pig. Remember? Yes? Well who could forget.

The play by Laura Wade is no less incendiary, stirring up a wasp’s nest of arrogance and snobbery to the point of violence as a group of students lie their way into a country gastro pub having been banned after similar behaviour closer to their colleges. But their expectations are not met by the innocent landlords aspirations and things get badly out of hand.

I would not describe this as a great play, the balance of reason is certainly out of kilter, the landlord and his daughter and the prostitute given far too little voice, but this is the fault of the writing and not of the cast or director.

What I would say is that this is a great performance, skilfully directed and realised by Katy Markey. The cast are excellent, not a weak performance amongst them and they capture that youthful energy, and that arrogance of the once ruling classes with a venom that is truly scary, indeed at times terrifying.

By placing the majority of audience members at the table with the club members, there is an oppressive intensity to the whole that, as the evening degenerates, becomes darkly uncomfortable. And when finally it descends into violence, a fight scene so brilliantly staged that I felt sick to my stomach, the situation seems all too real. Some of the students are complicit in the horror of the fight, some horrified by it, but as they construct their final actions and terrible defence the final nail is hammered in, all of them prepared to lie to save their skins, not one prepared to tell the truth.
As a moral tale it is pretty bleak, the “Ordinary” characters are not given anywhere near enough to do or say and what they do have is not well written. The toffs have all the best lines and best uncomfortable laughs too.

Despite these simple missed opportunities this is a stunning performance in which the company’s work far outshines any misgivings about the play. Apollo Productions are certainly a company to watch!
The Old Ship
27 July
Andrew Kay
Rating: