After a successful run at the Tabard Theatre, Andrew Cartmel’s farce has relocated to Southwark to provide more laughs and light relief. The suitable silly premise has a theatre director who can’t get dressed because his producer, writer and leading lady won’t leave him alone. Each interrupts his precious Sunday morning: accusing him of having an affair, gossiping about him having an affair, or trying to start an affair with him. And the poor man has a play to put on!
Of course it’s predictable (that’s part of the comedy), and it pushes credulity to the limit, which some people really don’t like. But Cartmel’s script is well written and he has some good lines. The physical comedy is minimal – there are no slamming doors and only one race around a sofa (which is a bit disappointing), so you can imagine the show as a radio play a little too easily. Nonetheless, director Jenny Eastop has done a great job injecting energy into the piece and keeping the action swift.
A top-notch cast makes the most of it all. Leading man Jamie Hutchins allows exasperation to get the better of him, but only a couple of times. And he is great at showing the too-smooth director’s conniving edge. Ryan Woodcock is credible as his nice but dim producing chum – it’s a sweet touch to make him so believably in love. Even theatre producers have hearts you know. Freya Alderson, as the temperamental writer with a hearing difficulty, does ditzy well, so it’s a shame this is the weakest role. In my opinion, Rosie Edwards takes the gold as a needy actor with some very odd ideas about revenge as she made me laugh the most. But you’re welcome to disagree and speculate about which character you identify with the most.
There’s a lot of fun around these theatrical types and the play they are struggling with. The conceit adds a neat layer to the drama. Yes, of course they are stereotypes, and rather retro ones at that. Some of the views expressed seem a little, well, 1970s. It’s part of an old-fashioned feel to the whole piece that is a little puzzling. I’m not sure if this is a knowing nod to the tradition of sex comedies or an endearing oddity. Not that it matters, Dressing Gown is entertaining and well executed.
Until 23 January 2026