MR AND MRS NOBODY
TheDiary of a Nobody has been described by Evelyn Waugh as “The funniest book in the world” Well if not the funniest, it comes pretty near to it.
Carol Ann Duffy – our ex poet Laureate has explored and poeticized the wives of many famous men in her humorous style In her book The World’s Wife. In this play, Keith Waterhouse has taken Mrs Pooter, the wife of a not famous man – in fact a Nobody – and is giving us her thoughts as her pompous husband carries on with his life and his diary, Mrs Pooter is now writing her own version of the uninteresting events that interest her husband so much.
Of course, in the theatre, we all waited with bated breath for the most famous image – the painting of the bath. It is carried out with precision and perfectionperfecton by Edward Baker-Duly who gives us his handsome but daft Pooter
.Caroline Pooter is played with a kind of skittish girly charm and enormous sympathy by Mirancda Fosterrie, is played with enormous charm by Miranda Foster. She jins in his long lasting roars of laughter at his own jokes even though she knows his puns are not really very funny, but she allows himallowhelps him give himself the reputation of being a wit.
This episode in their lives deals with the famous painting sequences,the disastrous trip to the M
as well as the tip to the Mayors ball at the Mansion House and the holiday in Broadstairs. In addiotion there are concerns aboutS
he is very concerned about their son Lupin who has constant problems with his
Daisy his older girlfriend and his frequent dismissals from Charles’s boss. Mr Perkup,
Miranda and Edward are enchanting and delicious. A beautiful couple of actors behaving like idiots – what could be lovelier.
They are assisted in this endeavour by the director Gabriella Bird and of course the wonderful George Grossmith who wrote the famous book helped by the illustrations of his brother Weedon. Grossmith was of course a leading player with the Doyley Carter Opera Company as well as author in his own right..Having just seen another brilliantly funny show using Gilbert and Sullivans music (about Gilbert Express G and S], one wonders if Victorian style humour is the flavour of the month or indeed the year of the pandemic.
This show takes place at the diminutive but cosy Jermyn Street Theatre in the middle of the West End. There is an interval and there is alcohol available as well as ice cream. Mr and Mrs is on until the end of JUly so book your seat while you can. It is very very funny.
pyekan 