Les Dennis in 'Drowning on Dry Land' at The Jermyn Street Theatre

Alan Ayckbourn seems to be a fashionable choice for independent theatres at the moment, with the Print Room staging ‘Snake in the Grass’ and now Jermyn Street Theatre presenting ‘Drowning on Dry Land’. There are many Ayckbourn traits and characteristics that the two plays have in common, most obviously the mysterious outdoor settings: SITG is set in an old tennis court, DODL takes place in the protagonist’s garden. I felt frightened and unnerved by the Print Room’s production, and though there are still eerie undertones in ‘Drowning on Dry Land,’ it is predominantly a harmless comedy.

This is Ayckbourn’s 66th play, written in 2004 about the idiocy of celebrity culture. B-list star Charlie Conrad has caught the public’s attention by continually failing, and over seven years has transformed himself from approachable likeable guy to aloof megastar, with no time even to attend his six year old son’s birthday party. Fame seems to bring him little joy and slowly everything worth having slips away from him.

The attraction for many going to see ‘Drowning on Dry land’ will be the appearance of Les Dennis who takes on the role of Charlie’s kind, smooth-talking agent Jason Ratcliffe. Much to my surprise he steps up to the challenge and comes across convincing and at times quite hilarious. Christopher Coghill has a tricky job playing the ignorant celebrity, and he mostly succeeds though is occasionally a bit lacklustre. Emma Swain seems nervous as the princess wife, Linzi Conrad. Helen Mortimer is awkward as Marsha Bates the young woman entertainer, who turns into freakish clown, Mr Chortles. Her alter-ego clown becomes the focus of the play.

The real laughs come in the second half from Mark Farrelly and Russell Bentley as the two snappy lawyers Hugo de Prescourt and Simeon Diggs. Farrelly has a charming eloquence that immediately adds heat to the on stage debate, and catches the audience’s attention in a way not achieved previously. Bentley is an instinctive comedian who thrives with Ayckbourn’s humour, when he entered I found I was leaning forward in my seat to enjoy the hysterical banter.

Apart from the unpleasant heat this boutique theatre is truly unique in its layout and well worth a visit. You immediately feel involved - a quality perfect for Ayckbourn drama. Be warned though – toilets are on stage, so be sure to go before the lights go down.

Drowning on Dry Land continues until 19 March, book here.

Snake in the Grass at The Print Room

The Print Room continues on its quest to present obscure, controversial and exciting theatre to audiences in the capital with their production of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Snake in the Grass’. At their dinky little premises in Notting Hill the company hopes to shed light on this dark forgotten gem. If their version of ‘Fabrication’ didn’t prove their worth then this run of ‘Snake in the Grass’ certainly will.

Alan Ayckbourn is a much celebrated playwright, though this work is little known, and rarely performed - indeed it is the London premiere. The play introduces us to two sisters, Annabel and Miriam who have recently lost their father. It soon transpires that Miriam was in fact responsible for his sudden death, and consequently spends the duration trying to escape prison while being blackmailed by her father’s former nurse, Alice Moody. Her big sister, Annie is preoccupied with fears of her own and is reluctantly dragged into the mess, weighed down with guilt for leaving her family so many years earlier. This macabre ghost story takes many terrible twists, resulting in an unexpected and chilling conclusion.

The play is thrilling, and for those less hardy, quite terrifying. The theatre space has little air and is quite claustrophobic; the seating arrangement allows the performers to be very close to the audience - it is an intimate affair.

The all-female cast of three are brave, brassy and beastly, each of them vile in their own way. I was most impressed by Sarah Woodward as the delusional and calculating Miriam, she is scarily convincing and seems fully absorbed in the character throughout, never losing concentration. I realised, after reading the programme, that many years back I acted alongside her in Stephen Fry’s ‘Bright Young Things’, a surprising if quite cool coincidence. Susan Wooldridge acts as the lonely older sister Annabel, she genuinely seems battered and worn out, bitter and resigned to her failures. Wooldridge acts with real bite, though occasionally stumbled over her lines. The bullying nurse Alice is played by Mossie Smith. Looking at her sweet photo in the programme it is hard to believe she is the horrible girl who stomps onto the stage. In her tacky attire, she spits and grimaces and comes across as a truly awful human being, I soon detested her. Brilliant direction comes from the talented Lucy Bailey. She obviously had a very clear vision for this production, and luckily with such an experienced cast it is well realised, her passion for the job is evident just from watching her actresses perform. Eerie lighting and music made the play even more affecting.

The Print Room have William Dudley to thank for the phenomenal set. Dudley, who has picked up seven Olivier awards for his designs, transforms the plain space into a decrepit old tennis court complete with attendant detritus: it is hauntingly atmospheric and mysterious. The floor is covered in real green moss, the walls are made of wire fencing, and scrub and bushes crowd the entrances and exits. The remains of a tennis court are clear to see in every little detail.

The Print Room is evidence that theatre does not have to have money thrown at it to thrive and produce dynamic drama. I look forward to its next offering - perhaps something a little more cheery?

Snake in the Grass continues until 5 March, book here.