IN THE BAR
Thursday November 22 – Sunday 25 November at 7-45
Dinner by Moira Buffini directed by Pauline Armour
PREVIEW
Pauline Armour makes a welcome return to Bar Theatre at BLT for the first
time since launching this intimate addition to the main house in January
2011. Pauline directs Dinner by Moira Buffini a deliciously dark satirical
comedy which centres around the dinner party from hell. First seen at the
National in 2002 with Harriet Walter playing Paige – the hostess with the
mostest – this definitely bad-taste comedy is Abigail’s Party but transported to
the realms of the well -heeled middle classes. The viciousness of the
humour makes Mike Leigh’s cringingly embarrassing play look like a work of
Catherine Cookson and Paige’s painstakingly prepared menu is definitely not the
kind of thing you would find in Delia Smith. Acerbic and caustic comments
fly like poisonous darts across the dinner table leaving a trail of carnage
in their wake …….. and what is the real identity of the sinister
waiter?
Paige, a self-confessed ‘rich-bitch’ is throwing a dinner party in honour
of her husband Lars who is celebrating the fact that his pop psychology
book ‘Beyond Belief ‘ is now a best seller. Like any fastidious rich host
Paige anxiously checks with the waiter, whom she has employed for the
occasion, that everything is prepared for the imminent arrival of her guests. It is
only when she hands over his payment of £25,000 in cash that one suspects
the meal may contain some rather nasty surprises.
The guests at this feast of horrors are Wynne , a post-feminist dippy-hippy
artist who specialises in so called erotica, Hal, a microbiologist who
knows a great deal about deadly micros and who has not written a best selling
book, Hal’s girlfriend Sian, a journalist and news reader who resents the
way Hal keeps referring to her as a ‘news babe’; and Mike, an uninvited
guest who having crashed his van in the fog calls at the house seeking the use
of the telephone, and ends up staying for dinner.
Dinner is certainly not for those of a weak stomach, faint heart or nervous
disposition. But if you are broad minded, have exotic tastes and a robust
constitution book your ticket early and bon appetit!!
Contains VERY STRONG LANGUAGE and a very small amount of smoking
Cast:
The Waiter – Martin Bunyan
Paige – Emma Sweeney
Lars – Stevie Hughes
Wyn – Debbie Griffiths
Sian – Timmy Wright
Hal – Matthew Eades
Mike – Andrew Newbon