Review: The Last Tutorial

It’s no Poirot, but The Last Tutorial has some strong performances


The Last Tutorial – a phrase conjuring connotations of eighth-week bliss and relief to most Oxford students, but to others such as student playwright Robert Holtom, invoking murder mystery.

The play has an amusing premise; a sleuthing pupil determined to prove that her eccentric tutor is a victim of murder in a setting ripe to satirise the cultural quirks of Oxford along the way.

In the claustrophobic Burton Taylor, director Matthew Shepherd’s staging was minimal but effective.

The play revolved around the three different locations that existed simultaneously on stage; the audience’s attention was moved between them by effective and dramatic lighting that added much-needed realism in a far-fetched plot.

It was spooky to see just how much John Evans’ skilful use of soft oranges and whites capture the cosy warmth of a tutorial room.

The cast’s characterisation was also excellent. Philly Howarth in the lead role of Esther brought a realism that gave the production a great deal of buoyancy.

The same could be said of Leo Suter on his first theatrical outing as Theo, whose natural wit was sadly wasted on a brief cameo. Harriet Easton, playing Patty, pulled off eccentricity with panache.

The play was at its funniest during parody, referencing both Hassan’s and a Champagne and Chocolate-style Oxford social.

A particularly clever scene towards the end where the murder is played out in the sleuth’s head (a brilliantly original concept) led to an exasperated victim crying out “You’re not going to kill me again, are you?!”.

However, the script was flawed. At every turn the plot was overemphasised in a manner really redundant in a play that lasted a full hour.

A disappointing weakness was the clichéd definition of the “Oxford experience.”

Occasionally it felt like cultural references (ho ho, we all hate Cambridge, am I right?) were awkwardly shoehorned in, and recognisable #oxfordproblems all-too-easily blurred into a predictable caricature based on popular misconceptions.

It’s funny and refreshing to see the Oxford bubble lampooned. However, The Last Tutorial can’t seem to decide whether it’s a comedy or not.

It’s difficult to tell whether the play is a self-referential in-joke for Oxford students who know what it’s like, or to show the public that we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

However, it boasts a strong cast and evocative staging and with some adjustment, the highly competent team could have a hit on their hands.