This Way Up

‘This Way Up’ by Elizabeth Coleman is showing at The Garrick Theatre in Guildford each evening at 8.00 until 16^th February.

            Melanie (Katy Mitton), with the help of a family friend Damien (Cary Hudson), is packing her belongings and about to leave her long time partner Nick (Martin Lindsay). Although still very much in love with Nick, a foreign correspondent, Melanie finds herself continually alone for long periods whilst he is away on his world travels. Insipid Damien would like to comfort her, but Melanie has decided that he is just the man for her younger sister Krissy (Ashleigh Warner) and so goes about matchmaking.
            Just as the packing is coming to an end, Nick arrives home unexpectedly. When confronted by the choice of ‘stay at home or watch me walk’, he is about to make his decision when Sergeant Wendy O’Brien (Helen Hopper) arrives at the house to warn them of a crisis in the street outside. What will they all do? Will Nick stay?

Good set and lighting.
The same author as ‘Secret Bridesmaid Business’, which had a similar, slightly dark humour, wrote this play. Despite the valiant efforts of director Karen Woodcock and a superb cast, who captured their characters beautifully and worked their guts out, the play was flat. Basically I don’t think that there was even half the humour in the script that is required in a normal comedy play. There was a short, but very funny section – the party games - which worked well. Sorry disappointed.