Play it Again, Sam at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

Play it Again, Sam at Upstairs at the Gatehouse

25 May, 2011
by: Adam Dolan

The ghost of Humphrey Bogart comes to the London stage, in this production of Woody Allen's classic comedy.

Play it Again, Sam, Woody Allen's much-loved comedy, is showing at the Upstairs at the Gatehouse theatre and I'm pleased to report that whether you're a Woody fan or not, you're almost certainly going to enjoy this production.

...Sam is the story of neurotic New Yorker Allan Felix, recently divorced and in a constant state of near-panic. Allan's two best friends, Dick and Linda, are determined to get him back into the dating game. Unbeknownst to them, Allan has a little help from an unlikely source; his invisible friend Humphrey Bogart.

Tim Frost's portrayal of Allan is great: there's nothing worse than an overblown Woody Allen impersonation, and thankfully that's not the case here. Frost tows the line between mimicry and caricature without making it seem silly or hackneyed. Similarly, Shaun Stone's turn as Bogart treads the same line with an equal degree of care. The gruff, nasal voice is in evidence but he never overplays it. Bogie's recognisable but Stone never strays into parody territory.

But the stand-out star of the production is Amy Bailey, who brings real warmth and charm to Linda, and makes the role her own. That's no modest feat considering Diane Keaton played Linda in the seminal 1972 film, and those are some big shoes to fill.

The set design is also phenomenal; Suzi Lombardelli has done an astounding job of recreating a 1960s-era New York apartment in the fairly limited stage-space the Gatehouse has to offer. It really is a thing of beauty, from the lit window showing the New York skyline to the little domestic details scattered around. I actually want to live on this set, that's how impressive it is.

The only criticism I have is in regards to the venue. Don't get me wrong, I love the Gatehouse Theatre. It's a beautiful building, but the acoustics are horrible. The audience is only a few feet away from the actors and yet, owing to the Gatehouse's imposingly tall ceiling, some of the dialogue can sound a little muffled or distant. It's Frost's vaguely hushed and occasionally mumbled dialogue that suffers most.

So, the bottom line is that if you're familiar with the film I definitely recommend this show – it's a great adaptation, and certainly does justice to the source material. But if you're not a Woody Allen fan, don't let that put you off. Even if it's unfamiliar, you're very likely to enjoy this fun, breezy, and well-staged comedy.

Play it Again, Sam runs at Upstairs at the Gatehouse until June 26th.

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Adam Dolan