Review: LUV, Park Theatre

Buckland Theatre Co. return to Park90, following their critically acclaimed production of Some Girl(s), with this revival of 1960s Broadway hit LUV, a comical look at the enduring struggle to get to grips with the meaning of love. It provides some welcome variety from the more festive offerings over the Christmas period.

Milt Manville is in love - but not with his wife. A chance encounter with old classmate Harry, a man on the verge of suicide, gives him an idea of how to make both of their lives better: if Harry believes in love then he'll have a reason to live, and if Milt can help Harry and his wife Ellen to fall in love he can get the divorce he craves. But is 'happily ever after' quite as simple as that?

Murray Schisgal's script is a tongue-in-cheek look at the dilemmas we face in the pursuit of love. It is a play, however there are odd occasions where the characters burst into song, which serves mainly to accentuate the comedy. However, as it's the same song each time (just with different backing), it is a little repetitive - whether this is a deliberate choice designed to show a cyclical nature of love is unclear. There could be potential within the script to present it as a musical by changing some bits of dialogue into songs, for example when Milt and Harry compete over how bad their childhoods were.

The events all take place on the same bridge in New York, with set design by Max Dorey. It makes impressive use of the small space available, showing its versatility as the actors manoeuvre their way around it in a variety of ways. The backdrop of the sky adds a dash of colour and reflects the overwhelming mood onstage.

There are moments to stop and reflect on the big questions in life, particularly early on as Harry contemplates ending his own, however it is mostly a laugh-out-loud show. This is largely thanks to the cast, who are all blessed with fantastic comic timing and great individual physicality. Elsie Bennett prowls across the stage as Ellen, lacing her slightly more questionable lines (regarding the woman's role in a relationship) with a healthy serving of irony. Nick Barber is reminiscent of a silver screen hero in his portrayal of Milt, despite the character's moral bankruptcy.

Charles Dorfman completes the cast as down-and-out Harry. Throughout all of the farcical things happening onstage, he has a remarkable ability to keep an entirely straight face - even when demonstrating Harry's quite ridiculous "fits", which can be sudden paralysis, blindness, deafness and loss of voice. Dorfman plays Harry as something of a man-child; his immaturity is hilarious.

Whilst it takes some time to get into the story, and could benefit from more variety in musical numbers, this show is a terrific example of a classic Broadway comedy that still resonates with audiences over 50 years later. If you're looking for something that will make you giggle this festive season, all you need is LUV!

LUV is at the Park Theatre until 7 January, 2017

Picture credit: The Other Richard

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