The Prisoner Of Second Avenue
Prolific American playwright Neil Simon is a clever, often very funny
writer, but he doesn’t always know when enough is enough and a joke wears
thin.
This sprightly revival of his angst-ridden 1971 Broadway hit could
profitably ditch a redundant scene involving a quartet of assorted siblings
and focus solely on unravelling advertising exec Mel and his wife Edna when
New York city life and the economic downturn push him over the edge.
Jeff Goldblum maintains the gags and the momentum as troubled 47 year old
Mel, unable to cope with noisy neighbours and broken air-conditioning in
their high-rise apartment, whilst Mercedes Ruehl provides the affectionate
voice of reason as his devoted spouse, forced to become the breadwinner in a
social comedy which sacrifices truthfulness for an onslaught of one-liners.
3/5
Vaudeville, Strand WC2R 0NH
0844 412 4663
Tube: Charing Cross tube
secondavenuetheplay.com
Extended to 25th September
£25 – £49.50
Review: Louise Kingsley
