The Unfriend

Last updated
The Unfriend
Written by Steven Moffat
CharactersDebbie
Elsa
Peter
Rosie
The Neighbour
PC Junkin
Alex
Date premiered21 May 2022
Place premiered Minerva Theatre, Chichester
Original languageEnglish

The Unfriend is a play written by Steven Moffat. The plot centres on suburban couple Peter and Debbie, whose polite invitation to a stranger on holiday has dire consequences.

Contents

Production

The play was due to premiere at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester as part of the 2020 Festival. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the play was postponed to 2022. [1] The play began previews on 21 May 2022, with a press night on 26 May. It ended its planned limited run on 9 July 2022. The play is directed by Mark Gatiss (in his directorial debut), designed by Robert Jones, lighting design by Mark Henderson and starring Amanda Abbington, Frances Barber and Reece Shearsmith. [2] [3]

The playtext was published by Nick Hern Books on 26 May 2021. [4]

The Unfriend transferred to the West End, opening at the Criterion Theatre on 19 January 2023, following previews from 15 January. [5] It played a limited run to 16 April 2023, with the original cast from Chichester all returning.

In July 2023, it was announced the play would return for another West End run at the Wyndham's Theatre, starring Lee Mack, Sarah Alexander and Frances Barber returning as Elsa, with performances between 16 December 2023 and 9 March 2024. [6]

Cast and characters

CharacterChichesterWest EndWest End Remount [7]
20222023
Debbie Amanda Abbington Sarah Alexander
Elsa Frances Barber
Peter Reece Shearsmith Lee Mack
RosieMaddie Holliday
The NeighbourMichael SimkinsNick Sampson
PC JunkinMarcus OniludeMuzz Khan
AlexGabriel HowellJem Matthews

Critical reception

The Chichester production of the play received positive reviews from WhatsOnStage.com, [8] The Daily Telegraph , [9] The Stage and The Guardian . [10]

Timeout magazine described the West End production as "Waffly, unfocused and above all, bland". [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Moffat</span> Scottish television writer and producer (born 1961)

Steven William Moffat is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who (2010–17), and for co-creating and co-writing the BBC crime drama television series Sherlock (2010–17). In the 2015 Birthday Honours, Moffat was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Gatiss</span> British actor, screenwriter and novelist (born 1966)

Mark Gatiss is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. He is best known for his work in television acting in and co-creating shows with Steven Moffat. Gatiss has received several awards including a BAFTA TV Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Peabody Award, and two Laurence Olivier Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watermill Theatre</span> Theatre in Bagnor near Newbury, Berkshire, England

The Watermill Theatre is a repertory theatre in Bagnor, Berkshire. It opened in 1967 in Bagnor Mill, a converted watermill on the River Lambourn. As a producing house, the theatre has staged works that have subsequently moved on to the West End, including the 2004 revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criterion Theatre</span> Theatre in London, England

The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reece Shearsmith</span> British actor, writer, comedian and magician (born 1969)

Reeson Wayne Shearsmith is an English actor, writer, comedian and magician. He was a member of The League of Gentlemen, with Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Jointly with Pemberton, created, wrote, and starred in the sitcom Psychoville and the dark comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. He had notable roles in Spaced and The World's End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Pemberton</span> British actor and comedian (born 1967)

Steven James Pemberton is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He was a writer and actor for BBC's The League of Gentlemen with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co-wrote and starred in the black comedy Psychoville and the anthology series Inside No. 9. His other notable television performance credits include Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp & Lucia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Mack</span> English comedian, actor (born 1968)

Lee Gordon McKillop, known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English comedian and actor.

John Doyle is a Scottish stage director of musicals and plays, as well as operas. He served as artistic director at several regional theatres in the United Kingdom, where he staged more than 200 professional productions during his career spanning over 40 years.

Sean Foley is a British director, writer, comedian and actor. Following early success as part of the comedy double act The Right Size and their long-running stage show The Play What I Wrote, Foley has more recently become a director, including of several West End comedy productions. From 2019 to 2024, he was appointed as Artistic Director of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Anna-Jane Casey is an English singer, dancer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Gaumond</span> Canadian/British actor

Alex Gaumond is a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter and filmmaker best known for his involvement in West End theatre. He plays series regular gendarme Caron, the chief of police in Sainte Victoire, in the Channel 5 television series The Madame Blanc Mysteries, starring Sally Lindsay.

Jessica Swale is a British playwright, theatre director and screenwriter. Her first play, Blue Stockings, premiered at Shakespeare's Globe in 2013. It is widely performed by UK amateur companies and is also studied on the Drama GCSE syllabus. In 2016, her play Nell Gwynn won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, after it transferred from the Globe to the West End, starring Gemma Arterton as the eponymous heroine. She also wrote and directed the feature film Summerland (2020).

Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen, known professionally as Zizi Strallen, is a British actress, singer and dancer best known for playing Mary Poppins in the Cameron Mackintosh theatrical production of Mary Poppins.

Charlie Stemp is an English actor. Stemp came to prominence for his leading role as Arthur Kipps in the West End musical Half a Sixpence, which earned him a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Musical and nomination for a 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

<i>Calendar Girls</i> (musical) 2015 musical

Calendar Girls The Musical is a musical by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, based on the 2003 film Calendar Girls, which is in turn based on a true story, and the original 2008 play adaptation by Firth.

Home, I'm Darling is a play by Laura Wade.

<i>The Ocean at the End of the Lane</i> (play) 2019 play by Joel Horwood based on Neil Gaimans novel

The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a 2019 play based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman and adapted for the stage by Joel Horwood.

<i>Pride and Prejudice*</i> (*sort of) 2018 play by Isobel McArthur

Pride and Prejudice* is a play by Isobel McArthur, with songs, based on Jane Austen's novel. The play is designed for a cast of five or six women, each playing a servant and several of the main characters. After an initial production in Scotland in 2018 and a tour in 2019–20, it opened in the West End in 2021 and toured again in 2022–23. The production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.

The Southbury Child is a play by Stephen Beresford.

Michael Bruce is a Scottish composer and lyricist working in theatre, television and film. He was composer-in-residence at the Donmar Warehouse theatre during Josie Rourke's artistic directorship there from 2012 to 2019.

References

  1. Supercool (2021-06-15). "The Unfriend". Chichester Festival Theatre. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  2. "Steven Moffat writes play inspired by perils of holiday friendship". the Guardian. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  3. "Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are working together again – but rule out doing Frankenstein". Radio Times. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  4. "The Unfriend". Nick Hern Books. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  5. "The Unfriend to transfer to the West End | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
  6. "The Unfriend to return to the West End with Lee Mack". 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  7. "The full cast is announced for THE UNFRIEND's return to the West End". www.londonboxoffice.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-24.
  8. "The Unfriend at Chichester Festival Theatre – review | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  9. Cavendish, Dominic (2022-05-26). "The Unfriend, Chichester, review: is Steven Moffat the new Alan Ayckbourn?". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  10. "The Unfriend review – manners can be the death of you in Steven Moffat's comedy". the Guardian. 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  11. "The Unfriend review: reasonably diverting dark comedy from Steven Moffat".