Review: DEAD FUNNY, Vaudeville Theatre, 3 November 2016

With the long, dark and cold winter nights upon us, we could all do with a bit of lighthearted comedy to cheer us up. Terry Johnson's Dead Funny originally made its West End debut 22 years ago at the Vaudeville, where this revival - directed by Johnson - is housed. Set in 1992, it takes place during the week in April when two much-loved comedians, Frankie Howerd and Benny Hill, died within days of each other.

The story focuses on Richard (Rufus Jones) and Eleanor (Katherine Parkinson), a couple trapped in a sexless marriage, who are trying to work through their problems. Eleanor is desperate to have a baby, but can't seem to get within a few inches of Richard without him flinching at her touch, something he says stems from his own problems. Richard also acts as a chairman for the Dead Funny Society, a comic appreciation group consisting of locals Brian (Steve Pemberton), Nick (Ralf Little) and his wife Lisa (Emily Berrington). When Brian convinces Richard to throw a party honouring the late Benny Hill, revelations come pouring forth.

The portrayal of a broken marriage is heart-wrenching. Eleanor is desperately in love with Richard, struggling to remain understanding and calm while craving the intimacy she's been without for 18 months. Meanwhile, Nick and Lisa are slowly adjusting to life as new parents to nine-month-old Max, and Brian reveals something to the group that he's recently come to accept about himself.

Richard Kent has done a superb job of transporting the audience back to the early 1990s, with Eleanor and Richard's living room featuring a boxy TV with videotapes stacked in a shelving unit. Parkinson is magnificent as a woman who feels tossed aside, unwanted and unloved by her husband; her dry wit and perfect comic timing garner some of the biggest laughs of the night. Pemberton is also hilarious and moving in his role as single middle-aged Brian, whose sweet nature makes him an endearing character.

Paying tribute to classic comedians - including Norman Wisdom, Tommy Cooper, Sid James and Tony Hancock - there's a nice nostalgic element to the production, taking me right back to being a child sitting next to my grandfather on the sofa watching hours and hours of Morecambe and Wise. And trust me, after you've seen this play, you'll never look at a mantelpiece the same way again.

Dead Funny is at the Vaudeville Theatre until 4 February 2017

Photo Credit: Alastair Muir

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