What’s it all about?
Jolly good fun, that’s what.
Some theatre is sent to test us, other theatre to make us uncomfortable and frequently to give us a much needed slap-in-the-face of a wake-up call. Blanche McIntrye’s joyful screwball comedy is all about pure and simple fun with spot on comic performances and a pleasantly dizzying plot packed with hilarious twists and turns. It’s – achingly stylish, we’re at the Donmar remember – theatre to cement a smile on your face for two and a half hours.
Who’s in it?
A brilliantly perplexed Rory Keenan leads as Captain Fox… or is he? In this post Second World War tale of forgotten identity, the muddled ex-serviceman finds himself in the not always so warm arms of a well to do Long Island family who believe him to be their long lost son. But with plenty of misadventure, romantic scandal and a thirst for blood in this Captain Fox’s past, is his memory all that worth recovering after all?
The always great Keenan is just one cog in McIntrye’s beautifully oiled machine, with a wonderfully sharp Sian Thomas as his waspy utterly unmaternal mother, a martini dry Fenella Woolgar as the sour daughter-in-law and Danny Webb as the show’s very own version of Mr Wormwood, an over the top brash outsider whose loud jacket is only matched by his booming voice.
Let’s hear it for Katherine Kingsley, however, who steals the show with an outrageous, flamboyant performance as the ostentatious socialite wannabe Mrs Marcee Dupont-Dufort. From orphan dogs to her fantastical musings, Kingsley ensures she’s unforgettable.
What should I look out for?
Mark Thompson’s gorgeous design that brings the coast to Covent Garden and steals costumes right out of the wardrobe of Mad Men’s Joan Holloway. Warning: if you’re not a fan of taxidermy, you might want to steel yourself for the second act. Who knew you could stuff a seagull?
In a nutshell?
Stylish, hilarious, warm and impeccably directed, Welcome Home, Captain Fox! is a welcome comedic treat.
What’s being said on Twitter?
Never expected a perpetual smile stretched across my physog all afternoon – Welcome Home Captain Fox, Donmar – thanks, appreciated
— elena o’flaherty (@elena_oflaherty) February 27, 2016
Really enjoyed ‘Welcome home, Captain Fox’ @Donmar, particularly the fabulous Katherine Kingsley as Marcee
— Andrew Carrick (@EdFella) February 25, 2016
Will I like it?
Yes, definitely. It’s light, fun, beautifully staged and impeccably performed. Book and warm your cockles.
Welcome Home, Captain Fox! is playing at the Donmar Warehouse until 16 April. You can book tickets through the theatre’s website.