Review of Loft Theatre Company production of Hay Fever (2010)

It’s nothing but a piece of outrageous frippery. Characters have no depth, plot is non-existent, emotions are never stirred. Noel Coward himself said as much.

So why then, when deftly staged, can this play delight in the manner of savouring the most delicate soufflé? The answer lies with the sheer verbal wit and literary elegance of the writing – a field in which Coward reigned supreme.

To the immense credit of this Loft production, the master’s casual brilliance is duly recognised. His dysfunctional Bliss family and their unfortunate guests dominate a weekend of manic domestic mayhem in which party games and breakfast haddock take on an almost super-human significance. The style and humour emanating from a past era of writing so ominously emphasise the general awfulness of modern British television sitcoms.

Coward’s comedy of manners can only succeed when its style steam-rollers over its lack of content. Director Mary MacDonald has shaped it accordingly, adding subtle touches of stage technique but essentially focusing on the play’s inherent sparkle. She has assembled a cast who are virtually faultless in working as an ensemble, never more so than when party time seems to swell to an ear-battering crescendo of petty squabbling.

Pinpointing the chaos, as she should, is Marian Kemmer’s theatrical matriarch, living on past glories, fawning and flirting with a delicious lack of restraint. No bothering here with underlying pathos, just great fun. And among the rich array of strong performances around her, Kate Brough and Chris Smith make fine capital from what could have been less rewarding roles as the young things contributing to the fray.

As the ingenuous Sorel remarks: “We none of us ever mean anything.” And it’s a most fitting anthem.

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Peter McGarry is an experienced, independent professional theatre critic who has agreed to review Loft Theatre Company productions.

The agreement with the Loft is that Peter is free to express his opinions for good or ill. The Loft Theatre Company has no control whatsoever over the content of these reviews and will never comment publicly on what he writes.