The Unfriend

This play is a modern comedy of manners which lampoons the peculiarly British middle-class characteristic of trying not to give offence in practically any circumstances.  In everyday life this can often be achieved with subtlety and discretion, but in a black comedy the trait, of necessity, has to be exaggerated.  Not to the point of farce, perhaps, as then the characters cease to be plausible and it becomes difficult for us to be emotionally invested in them, but certainly beyond the point of everyday experience as otherwise we are simply presented with an unengaging pastiche of unexceptional lives.  This presentation successfully charted a course through these treacherous waters: the character development of the various members of the Lindel household was finely judged, while the history and motivations of Elsa were sufficiently ambiguous to sustain and elevate the drama.

Ah, Elsa.  The self-possessed, outgoing American traveller of uncertain means and circumstances is a familiar enough stereotype, and from the moment the tabs swept back to reveal Elsa in full cruise mode we were drawn into her seductive philosophies and murky past.  Is she the monster described online, or the almost Mary Poppins-like caricature who flies into the Lindels’ lives to work her peculiar type of magic?

Peter Lindel is a tough role to play as he is the embodiment of much of the comedy of embarrassment at the heart of the piece, but it helps that he is initially characterised as being quite laid back.  The holiday cruise is ending and he hasn’t packed?  There’s still plenty of time for that.  A possible serial killer is coming to stay with our family?  Let’s just wait and see what happens.  His wife Debbie has to put him under quite a lot of pressure to get him to do anything, which means that when he finally speaks up it’s on somebody else’s behalf, and his squirming embarrassment at what he was being forced to say and do was clear to all.

Debbie herself holds strong opinions and is determined to do the right thing; or more accurately, is determined that Peter should do the right thing as one of Debbie’s key characteristics is her tendency to delegate difficult tasks.  Having Elsa to stay with her family is clearly wrong, so Peter needs to tell Elsa to leave.  This means that Debbie is often a bystander during some of the most challenging exchanges, but her manifestations of frustration and exasperation were kept within bounds.

The domestic setting is more demanding than you might imagine, as it has to include a front door, a kitchen door, a downstairs loo and a staircase to the upstairs bedrooms, as well as zoned living space.  The zoning was accomplished through different coloured walls, and the various pictures and prints were well chosen, particularly the prominent family portrait.  The set dressing was good, complete with functioning fridge freezer, and considerable significance was attached to the centre-stage sofa which served as a physical barrier between mutually distrustful parties as well as a metaphor for the Lindels’ household.  I particularly liked the untidy presentation of the domestic space: stage sets are almost invariably immaculate, but the Lindels’ home looked lived-in, with piles of shoes and clothes waiting to be put away or hung up.  And later they are, adding to the impression that Elsa has worked her magic on the family.

All in all, this was a very accomplished production.  The creative and technical teams knew exactly how to make the most of the resources at their disposal, the director had a thorough understanding of the piece and the imagination and experience necessary to realise his vision, and the company was packed with capable performers who really brought the characters to life.  It’s not an easy play to do well, as you have to tread a narrow line between rooting the piece in everyday experience and exaggerating certain traits to comic and thought-provoking effect, but that’s exactly what the Drama Group did, and they gave us an entertaining and stimulating evening of theatre.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.