Black Comedy

The beginning of “Black Comedy,” is in complete darkness, and with the audience only being able to hear the dialogue, we are told that a young, hopeful artist Brinsdley Miller is hosting an evening to try and sell a sculpture of his to a German antique-collecting millionaire whilst simultaneously having to deal with the visit of his fiancée’s militaristic father.

Yet the whole night is thrown into question when the fuse blows (and the lights come on!) the flat descends into a most ridiculous set of events that I couldn’t have enjoyed more.

Like any performance on the opening night, the actors appeared to be a little nervous. It was a shame also that the audience did not seem to be engaging with the humour until the lights came on, but when the fuse did blow, the whole performance came into its own and was an absolute delight from start to finish.

The cast did brilliantly with the premise set for them and used movement “in the dark” to create the upmost comic effect for the audience. Every actor deserves high praise but three performances of note have to be – Nick Slater playing the loveably eccentric Schuppanzigh, Zoe Moulton playing the cunning, calculating ex-girlfriend Clea, and Verity Spencer playing the hilariously senile Miss Furnival – all of which had me in stitches throughout the performance. 

Another quality to be enjoyed in ‘Black Comedy’ is the set design. Vividly colourful, the space is used to great effect, and successfully brings to light the physical comedy aspect of the play. The clumsy nature of the movement is highlighted by the rich backdrop and the two go hand in hand to help the performance thrive. The costume designs were excellent as well, Harold Gorringe’s waistcoat being particularly pleasing on the eye.

All in all, The Tab highly recommends going to this wonderfully directed, highly entertaining piece of theatre, that is only going to get better and better as the week goes on.

Black Comedy continues at the newly refurbished Nottingham New Theatre on campus, until Saturday, 17 November. Student tickets just £5. http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/523473570999224/?fref=ts