REVIEWED: Posh

In the intimate setting of the castle’s Senate Suite, the audience is treated to the escapades of the ‘Riot Club’, a fictionalised version of the Bullingdon Club. Over the course of two and a bit hours the audience plays witness to a traditional meal in which rich young men raise hell at a private dinner, safe in the knowledge that they can afford it. One meets anger, laughter, sorrow, excitement, shock and sympathy in a spectacular blend.

Guy (played by Edward Hauschild) opens the play with his uncle (Edward Cherrie). Immediately Guy’s desperation to impress his uncle is met with dry remarks and condescending mannerisms which sets the scene nicely for the rest of the performance. We see detail to the finest degree in each moment. Much humour is derived from the absurdity and Cherrie’s character recalls ridiculous stories with such certainty – the audience is absorbed and well prepared for the madness to come…

The cast members, all fourteen of them, showed an unbounded amount of effort and talent in their characters. Henry Morris, for example, showed a sensational snivelling, uncertain character caught in the mix of trying to become a distinguished club member whilst remaining determined to defend the honour of his family heirloom. We were goaded to question the President’s (Charlie Warner) leadership quality. His opposite in almost every regard, Alistair (Sam Kennerley) single handedly shows the ultimate horrors of the upper-class. It’s moral-torture to find ourselves laughing at his remarks; we shiver as he reveals his beliefs about his fellow man. Thanks to Daisy Cummins, Caitlin McEwan and Dave Pritchett, the audience was treated to the tougher side of the working / middle class being brought to heel by the club. It’s hard to think of another production that carries one from feelings of comedy, to loathing and straight back to comedy again.

The production team employed some brilliant lighting and music design to enhance to mood, whilst retaining a sense of realism. The blinking light in the riot scene paralleled with ‘I Predict a Riot’ swept the audience up in the adrenaline, and yet, inspired some feeling of guilt afterwards when a cold stark light revealed the chaos left in its wake.

The set, which employed a simple but elegant table, is well used and leaves plenty of space for movement. Reusing old wine bottles makes it easy to believe plenty of wine is being consumed, save for a bottle of Laphroaig being consumed at a fair rate at the beginning of the second act. It certainly adds a good deal of humour for any who are aware of the alcohol content of this peat-based single malt!

This reviewer has a great love for perfect naturalistic acting so usually has a bad-word to say about many performances. And yet I’ve never been more humbled by such a truly absorbing piece of theatre. Every member of cast and crew should be phenomenally proud of the life brought to the Suite. The play crafted humour brilliantly with an eerie example of the power that money brings with it.