French Toast Review – Riverside Studios
FRENCH TOAST SERVES UP LAUGHS, BUT FAILS SHORT OF ITS POTENTIAL
By Staff Writer | Press Invite
I really wanted to like French Toast, but unfortunately I left largely disappointed.
What is built on a series of classically farcical premises: French versus English sensibilities, an ageing stage diva, a failing show set in “off West-End,” resulted in a mish-mash of ideas that was assembled with clunky lines, and forced chemistry.
To give the show credit, it really sang, both literally and metaphorically, in the large cast numbers in the play-within-a-play.
When the actors were supposed to be portraying the cast of a show that was bizarre and poorly conceived with an ensemble that was falling apart, they were genuinely hysterical and I had many laugh-out-loud moments.
Unfortunately, they weren’t supposed to be playing these characters throughout the real play, and yet they did.
There were a few standout performances. Reece Richardson did his very best to play the underwritten Nicky Butler, a charming punk musician turned actor. And I found Edith Vernes’ droll sensibilities to be a hysterical foil to Ché Walker’s overextended producer.
However, the ensemble was largely let down by a play that did not work. The script was messy, with so much potential for comedy being steamrolled by a love story that felt unnecessary, and a feminist kick towards the end that also felt like a last-minute addition that did not really suit the trajectory of the characters.
Unfortunately, if anyone is going to write a play about a diabolical plan to produce a show, it by nature has to be better than one of the best comedies of all time: The Producers. And this was simply not.
Additionally, I am usually a big fan of Riverside Studios, but if this play is going to continue they desperately need to put some air conditioning in Studio 3.
There is a saying: “Cold is Comedy.” If a room is hot, people do not laugh, and Studio 3 was boiling. With a run-time of 1 hour and 40 minutes and no interval, the venue was not doing the comedic potential of the play any favours.
For fans of pantomime and farce, this play did have some golden moments. However, it still has a long way to go before it is perfected.
French Toast is running at Riverside Studios from October 3rd-26th.
⭐⭐⭐
Photo Credit: Lidia Crisafulli
One Comment
Anonymous
Being both British and French by birth, my 14yo daughter and I both wholeheartedly had an extremely enjoyable evening watching this bold and brave production and I am no technocrat. She especially enjoyed the sleazy jokes and kept turning to me in amused shock-horror! After all these years of hearing Franco-British stereotypes I thought I’d had enough but in French Toast they are displayed in ever more amusing ways. The flaws and inconsistencies are only further reflection of the love-hate relationship my two people have for each other. Edith Vernes reminds us much of Camille Cotin in “The Parisian Bitch, Princess of Hearts”.
For only £30, we had a thoroughly evening with laughter guaranteed for all ages and all nationalities – not a small feat has been achieved here! All I can say is hopefully someone will die on stage!