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Somewhere that's green: Potty the Plant at Wiltons Music Hall

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"I'm Potty the Plant," sings a potted plant in this odd little fringe concept of a show. It's hard not to get the tune out of your head, even if the show is brief. It's an earworm for a show that features a worm-like plant as a puppet. And given the show's brevity, running at only an hour, it's hard to get too annoyed by a lack of a coherent story, even if it still seems like the show could use a bit more development (which is underway). It has made its London debut at Wilton's Music Hall. The premise is that Potty, the plant, lives in the hospital office of Dr Acula (geddit?) and dreams of a life with the cleaning lady Miss Lacey (Lucy Appleton). But Dr Acula might be responsible for why all these children are disappearing while trying to romance Miss Lacey for her family's money that she doesn't have. Three nurses are on the case, trying to solve the mystery.  If the show settled on a convincing plot, location and set of characters, it could ...

Cocksucker Theatre hour: The Habit of Art

Note: this post was updated in December 2022 in an attempt to comply with Google content guidelines - however if a phrase used in the play about cocksucking violates these guidelines it still may have a content advisory… 🤷‍♂️

I caught the penultimate performance with the original cast of The Habit of Art on Tuesday, Alan Bennett's latest play which has been running since late last year at the National Theatre (and been broadcast in cinemas around the world recently). It's had great reviews and been hard to get a ticket... Afterall, it is an Alan Bennett play so you know it is going to have some great dialogue and something about 🐓sucking in it. There will be a new cast returning in July and a tour, but this cast had a bit more star power with Richard Griffiths and Frances De La Tour...

Since the play does talk about devices, there is only one thing worse than plays within plays, which often seem to be a device to make a show that doesn't work slightly more palatable (Imagine This anyone)?... And that is plays about plays at the National Theatre.

Walking into the theatre and seeing the set made of a rehearsal room at the theatre is enough to make your heart sink as well. No chance of being transported anywhere with that...  But the play really has spark in the scenes between Richard Griffiths and Alex Jennings, as poet Auden and composer Britten. It was enough to forget the rehearsal room scenes (even if that was the source of some of the best gags of the evening) and go for the ride. The audience liked the show on Tuesday night, but I don't think anyone would say they loved it...

Tickets go on sale shortly for the summer run and tour... It is still a very civilised if somewhat slightly important night at the theatre...

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