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Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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I recently had a few parcels go missing from where I live. The first parcel disappeared without a trace. The second parcel's contents were removed, and the box was left alone in the lobby. It's one of the things that you have to put up with living in central London. Apart from complaining to the delivery company and filing a police report, it crossed my mind to think about what would happen if I sent myself something rather unpleasant for a future parcel thief to open up. Well, Dave Florez's new work, The Gift, is in this line of thinking, except that the lead receives an anonymous gift of a turd in the mail rather than sending it to himself. It is lovingly gift-wrapped in a cake box from a posh north London bakery. It's a fascinating and hilarious three-hander currently playing at Park Theatre .  Colin (Nicholas Burns) is a little obsessive at the best of times. He doesn't let things drop quickly and is obsessed with the details behind anything and everythi...

Theatre: Clybourne Park



The first thing that strikes you about this Olivier-award winning play is how great the production looks. You feel like you are transported back into the 1950s in a living room fashionable for that time, and populated by people you would expect to see. As the play gets going however it becomes apparent that this is going to be a darkly comic night at the theatre that looks at property, neighbourhoods and the enduring value of real estate... It was worth finally getting a chance to see it before it ends its run...



To give too much away about the story would spoil the fun but it is inspired (and plays off) the the events that take place in A Raisin in the Sun. While I was not so convinced by the sentiment of the first act (which seems trite and overlong), the humour that comes from the skirmishes between the couples was hilarious. But the second act was like watching a different play. Here the comedy is relentless and explosive. The performances of the ensemble bring out the best of the material and the audience were in hysterics.

I'm not sure what the central message of the play is, but it sure made you leave feeling like you should buy some property in a neighbourhood that you may not feel like you belong in just to mix things up a little... It's playing now at Wyndham's theatre until early May...

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