• Review For Us
  • List Your Show
  • Advertising
  • Musicals
  • Plays
  • Ballet & Dance
  • Previews
  • First Look
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • VAULT Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • VAULT Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews
Patrick Brennan c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola OutsideDMH

Patrick Brennan c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola OutsideDMH

Review: Broken Lad at Arcola Theatre

by Rory Howes
October 18, 2021
Reading Time: 4 mins read

Two Star Review from Theatre WeeklyIn Robin Hooper’s Broken Lad, staged in the Arcola Theatre’s new outdoor venue, a fading stand-up comedian finds himself at the centre of problems that he’s mostly responsible for. Unfortunately, in writing a play about a comedian, Hooper seems to have forgotten to make it funny.

The central action of Broken Lad takes place over one evening in a room above a pub – the same pub in which Phil (Patrick Brennan) hopes to make his comeback as a stand-up comedian. Assisting him is old friend Ned (Adrian McLoughlin), a kindly gent with a lingering crush on Phil and access to an iPad full of dating apps.

Downstairs is Josh (Dave Perry) and his girlfriend Ria (Yasmin Paige), each of them harbouring a difficult relationship to Phil. To round things off, Phil’s ex-wife Liz (Carolyn Backhouse) is here to watch the show, complicating matters for the already flighty Phil and causing him to get cold feet about the gig, even as he finds himself homeless, jobless and dumped by his manager.

       

The premise feels distinctly old-fashioned – like a play from the 90s, all about the human condition. Sadly, Hooper doesn’t find anything interesting to say about these characters or the world they inhabit. The dialogue is overwrought with emotion, with endless exposition about the characters’ pasts threatening to overwhelm the play. It lacks flow, the pace fluctuating wildly without control.

And of course, the most egregious sin – how can a play about a stand-up comedian be so unfunny? The jokes we hear (mostly from Phil and his aspiring son Josh) almost never land, easy one-liners that are either cliched or simply lacking a punchline. Nothing interesting is pointed out about the state of the entertainment industry, and though the play purports to be about ‘masculinity and virility in distress,’ it fails to delve deep enough into the issue to make us care about the characters.

You mightalso like

Cast of WORTH

New Earth Theatre Announce Full Cast For World Première Of Joanne Lau’s WORTH

The Misandrist Arcola Theatre

Arcola Theatre Announces Programming For 2023

Phil, in particular, is the architect of his own destruction, consistently trying to flee in the face of adversity. The thing is, the character is so unlikeable that we wish he really would leave. Patrick Brennan fails to imbue the character with any warmth, creating a cruel and pitiful man that simply isn’t enjoyable to watch. Similarly, the character of Ria (and to a lesser extent, Liz) exists purely as an agent of chaos, lying and manipulating with seemingly no real remorse.

The female characters are extremely underserved in this piece – it’s uncomfortable to watch them act as catalysts for the problems faced by the men in the piece, with so little substance underneath. Yasmin Paige looks uncomfortable herself in the role, never finding a real truth in her scenes, while Carolyn Backhouse manages to rise above the material and give the play a much needed boost of energy in her brief scenes.

Dave Perry is the most enjoyable, a cheeky chappy who brightens the stage whenever he appears, and Adrian McLoughlin turns in a warm performance as Ned, though he did seem to struggle with his lines on more than one occasion.

The direction was lacklustre and uninspired, never finding the drama or the comedy that the play’s looking for. The decision to stage the show’s only stand-up scene with Phil behind a pane of glass, facing away from the audience, was particularly baffling – a nearly three minute scene where the audience could barely see or hear what was going on.

       

The set, similarly, felt half-baked – I couldn’t have told you it was supposed to be a room above a pub until the characters did. The whole thing felt like it hadn’t been thought about enough, and perhaps under-rehearsed – there was no spark of excitement or enjoyment running through the play, just a drudging misery-fest about characters with almost no redeeming qualities.

Ultimately Broken Lad suffers from a lack of clear direction or vision. The themes and setting, if explored in more depth, could be interesting and exciting. Unfortunately, the staleness of the piece makes it difficult for us to care.  

Broken Lad is at The Arcola (Outside) until 6th November 2021.

Broken Lad Arcola Theatre credit David Monteith Hodge

1 of 5
- +
Adrian McLoughlin c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside
Patrick Brennan c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside
Carolyn Backhouse and Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside
Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside
Yasmin Paige and Dave Perry c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside
ADVERTISEMENT

1. Adrian McLoughlin c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Adrian McLoughlin c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

2. Patrick Brennan c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Patrick Brennan c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

3. Carolyn Backhouse and Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Carolyn Backhouse and Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

4. Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Yasmin Paige c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

5. Yasmin Paige and Dave Perry c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Yasmin Paige and Dave Perry c David Monteith Hodge Photographise credit Broken Lad Arcola Outside

Rory Howes

Rory Howes

Rory is a graduate of East 15 Acting School, and works frequently as an actor, writer and director. He loves theatre that finds depth, whether that be through humour, pathos or a mix of the two.

Related Articles

Cast of WORTH
News

New Earth Theatre Announce Full Cast For World Première Of Joanne Lau’s WORTH

The Misandrist Arcola Theatre
News

Arcola Theatre Announces Programming For 2023

Arcola Studio Season
News

Arcola Theatre Announces Reopening of Studio 2 and Programming For The New Year

Ian Bartholomew
Interviews

Interview: Ian Bartholomew on Dinner With Groucho at Arcola Theatre

The Poltergeist credit Matt Martin
Reviews

Review: The Poltergeist at Arcola Theatre

The Apology credit Ikin Yum
Reviews

Review: The Apology at The Arcola Theatre

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram

At Theatre Weekly we give theatre a new audience. You'll find our theatre news, theatre reviews and theatre interviews are written from an audience point of view. Our great value London theatre tickets will get you the best deal for your theatre tickets.
Theatre Weekly, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
  • Join Our Community
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising

Recent News

Luke Newton and Amber Anderson

Initial Casting Announced For The First Major Revival In 20 Years Of Neil Labute’s The Shape Of Things

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Cast

Cast And Creative Team Announced For The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher at The Watermill Theatre

© 2022 Theatre Weekly

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tickets
  • Digital Theatre
  • News
    • West End
    • Off West End
    • Regional & Tours
    • Digital
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • Vault Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer

© 2022 Theatre Weekly