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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewThe Little Dog Laughed
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Significant tears coursing down his derm-abrased face. — Diane
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Tamsin Greig as Diane (Hugo Glendinning) |
I think the fault lies not with the performances nor Jamie Lloyd’s direction but with the dominance of Diane in a script which feels like stand up. There is too little room for the other characters to develop because their style is cramped by the scenes from loud mouthed Lesbian agent Diane. More than just an agent, she seems to be many other things as well, investor, producer and publicist and of course control freak. The laughs are thick and fast when Greig is onstage and for many that will equate to a thoroughly good evening in the theatre but this reviewer prefers a play to tell a credible story.
Harry Lloyd is the most affecting character as Alex, the man subsidising his income as a male prostitute with whom his client Mitchell (Rupert Friend) falls in love. Gemma Arterton as Alex’s girlfriend Ellen has very little to do in the most insubstantial part, her character ending up a puppet with Diane pulling the strings. In fact you feel the only purpose of Ellen in the play is to accommodate a predictable ending. Rupert Friend for one with no previous stage experience makes a good job of his role as Mitchell the actor who dithers over whether to show the public his homosexuality but his sexual scenes with Alex are restrained and coy.
The set is very white, modern and distracting with a door six feet off the ground and a bed that disappears from the bedroom in a later scene but the music is loud and the lighting arresting. Tamsin Greig has a succession of very fine designer clothes in black and white which like the play provide a surface gloss.
For further plot details and the reviews of this play in New York in 2006 go here.
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| The Little Dog Laughed
Written by Douglas Carter Beane Directed by Jamie Lloyd Starring: Tamsin Greig, Rupert Friend, Gemma Arterton, Harry Lloyd Design: Soutra Gilmour Lighting: Jon Clark Music and Sound: Ben and Max Ringham Running time: Two hours 10 minutes with one interval Box Office: 0844 412 4662 Booking to 10th April 2010 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 22nd January 2010 performance at the Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH (Rail/Tube: Charing Cross) |
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