The Elephant in The Room by Peter Hamilton.

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Theatre At The Tabard, Bath Road, London W4 1LW – until 2nd December 2023.

It’s a bit flabby around the midriff is this new play offering at The Tabard Theatre by Peter Hamilton. But any drama that starts with a nineteen-year old posh boy chatting to an Indian God of Death which leads him to decide to “Choose Death’ (sorry Trainspotting!) and then move into a retirement home is always going to be ‘interesting’!

And yet it is. Its absurdity is almost pedestrianised by an excellent cast, a simple but beautiful set and in some ways a partial disregard for narrative fiction, which never becomes too absurd. What could have been another episode of ‘Last of the Summer Wine’, turns into an enjoyable, funny, occasionally thought provoking piece of theatre. With full disclosure, I went on the preview night, so it was the first time the actors had performed in front of a live audience and it showed a bit, but the performances will I’m sure grow over the run as the talented cast grow into their roles, most of which are well defined, and find how to place their lines.
A lot of it doesn’t make sense – the Elephant in the Room is a REAL elephant in a stately home! – and the script obsessively name checks numerous areas in England to give it geographical relevance (?) But accept that this is a new play – albeit one that is a little unwieldy – and go see it. The real Elephant in THIS room is that it’s a funny, slightly absurd night with a bunch of loveable characters of all ages and backgrounds.

The Tabard have done it again.

Amen!

Nick Hennegan.

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