A nostalgic reimagining of an 80s film, one for the fans.
Sitting in the audience it is clear who the die-hard fans are, expecting to indulge in 2 hours of nostalgia and quotable lines, and then, who the avid theatre goers are who expected a night of stellar acting and comedy drama. Whilst Withnail and I was an enjoyable experience it felt flat at times and hard to follow the dialogue if you weren’t already familiar with the original film script, that had now been transcribed for the stage by the original film’s writer and director Bruce Robinson.
Set in a psychedelic and grungy Camden, London in 1969 with the iconic trench coats, the story follows the antics of would-be actors Withnail, a flimsy and excitable drunk brought to life by Bafta nominated actor Robert Sheehan, and his timid but likely to be more successful companion, Marwood (And ‘I’) Played by Adonis Siddique. They end up seeking escapism from their destitute flat resembling the average student home where bowls double up as coffee mugs and the skittish ‘I’ flitters around with holes in his socks. On an ‘accidental holiday’ they find free food and shelter at the expense of Withnail’s perverted uncle however it is really at the expense of ‘I’ having to rebut his incessant advances. Elaborately played by Malcom Sinclair, the Uncle, is both cringe worthy and a guiltily entertaining relief from the two young actors’ drunken anti-social behaviour.
This marks the final show directed by the Reps Artistic Director Sean Foley. Notable moments Include an elaborate sword fight sequence which shows off the skills likely learned in drama school by the aspiring actors played by Sheehan and Siddique. Scene transitions slide and shimmy into each other with projections resembling a hypnotic lava lamp. Sets designed by Alice Power are washed with brown and a grungy feel that gives us the sense of destitution and cold felt by the struggling actors.
The first half felt hard to follow as we are often unsure of where the two leads will end up, which is also a testament to the high level of the acting as the characters are often unsure of their own next move. Some lines felt obviously delivered as the one-liners known from the film and the 4th wall breaking soliloquys gave us the intimate insight into their doubt and anxiety. A captivating performance is given by the drug dealer who is not only missing a shoe but missing a few brain cells portrayed by Adam Young. A psychedelic rock band plays hits from the 60s and 80s and multi roles as pub owners, drug dealers, farmers, and the police, similar to the amount of characters originally in the film.
A heartfelt ending gives Michael Sheehan a chance to show off his acting skills with a standalone Shakespeare monologue remarking on the ‘quintessence of dust’ that is a man. The play doesn’t give the actors the opportunity to have standout moments it is often raced through with the audience laughter encouraging the continuation of the story. However, it often feels that the laughter isn’t an indication of appreciation but the cheap laugh at an innuendo or familiarity with the film. The patron sitting beside me did not return for the second half, whatever their reasons for leaving were, the escapism of the show did not grip them enough to ignore reality for an hour longer. For a familiar trip to the theatre Withnail and I was clearly a hit for fans of the film, but for everyone else it felt like they were not privy to an inside joke.