Relative Values At The Little Theatre Leicester Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by LW
The Little Theatre, Leicester, is exactly that; a small theatre, however, the theatre is run, almost entirely, by dedicated volunteers, from the bar staff and stewards to the people on the stage and the production team. It was great to see a diverse range of people in these roles, demonstrating the importance of supporting local theatre and exactly how many people value the venue and its work. The venue is ideally placed for parking and a drink or something to eat ahead of the play. There is also a bar in the venue which opens before and after the performance.
The classic Noël Coward comedy is set in 1952 England, where Nigel, Earl of Marshwood (Tom Young) woos Hollywood star Miranda Frayle (Nikki Favell) and announces their marriage; upsetting his mother (Jane Durant) and Miranda’s former love (Kier Watson) in the process. When it is revealed that Miranda is the sister of lowly maid Moxie (Alex Elliott) the drama begins. It provides a satirical response to the subject of snobbery and reverse snobbery as the countess decides that she must devise a way to stop the marriage to someone of such an undesirable class, leading to chaos breaking loose.
For a small theatre, the set is huge! A large and stately living room, complete with doors which opened out into the garden. The set, despite its size did feel cluttered and there were many items that just didn’t need to be there – for example the empty surround for a fireplace, to which no reference is made during the play – it almost felt like it had been left behind from a previous set.
This was my first experience of a Noël Coward play and will not be the last. There were some fantastic moments of humour and some superb one-liners. Some of these moments I felt were missed, though I suspect the reason for this may mostly be down to first night nerves. There were a few slip ups, with a couple of forgotten lines and the engagement ring on the right hand, though I am sure these will be ironed out as the week goes on. The cast, as a whole, were excellent in their roles.
One of the highlights for me were the very amusing moments of melodrama between the two Hollywood stars – backed by music – perfectly demonstrated their egos and provided the audience some laugh out loud moments. Nikki Favell and Kier Watson absolutely nailed this I felt.
In particular, I thought Jane Durant as the countess was excellent. Her spikey moments, coupled with her naughty humour, as she controlled and manipulated the whole situation made her very convincing and watchable throughout.
However, for me the standout performance was the smallest – Olivia Phillips as Alice the maid is superb. Her facial expressions at every turn were effortless, hilarious and spoke all the words her mouth didn’t. She provided us with some of the greatest laughs and if you are still on the fence about whether to go – she is worth the visit alone!
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Relative Values runs until Saturday 5th October 2024 with tickets remaining for each performance priced between £16 and £18.50.
Tickets are available online https://thelittletheatre.co.uk/whats-on/relative-values/#book-online Or by calling 0116 2551302