Review Roundup for The Pain and The Itch

What's on Stage has a "Review Roundup" for The Pain and The Itch. The title of the article says it all: "The Court Scores..."

The Royal Court Theatre website also has a roundup of the reviews. 

(Thank you SecretWifeOfTomQuinn and kls010) 

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After Party Images from The Pain and The Itch

Kentish found some after party images from The Pain and The Itch. There is an especially lovely one with Keeley Hawes and Matthew Macfadyen together.

Wooller.com

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Some More Reviews of The Pain and The Itch

What's On Stage has given The Pain and The Itch 4 stars. The full review can be found here.

He [Norris] has done a wonderful job ...

Clay (Matthew MacFadyen) is a nauseatingly “correct” house husband ...

 

London Theatre Guide has their review out, too:

Cleverly constructed by Norris and with dialogue which makes its point with every line, The Pain And The Itch is a hilariously cynical satire with some disturbingly recognisable, and unsympathetic, characters. Matthew Macfadyen acts Clay as a man always attempting to do the right thing but getting confused in the process, trying to disguise the marital problems with his sharp, uptight wife (Sara Stewart) while dealing with his own long-held familial insecurities. Andrea Riseborough grabs much of the laughter as the no-nonsense, fun-loving Kalina, who puts a spanner in Kelly’s politically-correct works at every turn and undermines Kelly’s precious claims of ‘abuse’. Peter Sullivan is an unpleasantly cynical Cash while Amanda Boxer is spot-on as the innocently racist mother Carol. Shannon Kelly as Kayla, meanwhile, is an expert screamer.

 

JaneV has given us some excerpts from today's newspapers and the scans!:

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Guardian Review of The Pain and The Itch

Thanks to 6point7 again for this find. The Guardian has given The Pain and The Itch 4 out of 5 stars. Some excerpts:

But Cooke's production has the right poisoned elegance, aided by a two-tier set by Robert Innes Hopkins that uncannily echoes that for The Lady From Dubuque. And the acting is a constant pleasure. Matthew Macfadyen's Clay is like a petulant child trapped inside an adult body, resorting to playground foot-stamping as he reveals his brother's supposed Republican sympathies. Sara Stewart's Kelly, while ostentatiously nursing an infant at her breast, exudes the steeliness of the corporate high-earner.

Peter Sullivan has a laconic style reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman, as Clay's laid-back brother. Even funnier is Andrea Riseborough as his East European lover who spits blood at the mention of socialism and who fits snugly into her designer jeans. And Amanda Boxer lends the mother a neat mixture of schoolteacher earnestness and fascination with the popular culture she apparently despises. A special mention also for Shannon Kelly who, sharing the role of the afflicted child, plays her with great dignity.

 

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Independent reviews the Pain and The Itch

6point7 has discovered the first review after "opening night" has come in and it's very positive. Visit The Independent for the full review. However, these two lines stood out:

At its centre, there is a family Thanksgiving dinner whose hosts are Clay, an insecure, aggrieved house-husband (the superbly funny Matthew Macfadyen) and his spouse Kelly (Sara Stewart), a high-powered, bitter corporate exec.

I don't see how Cooke could have directed this play any better. Highly recommended.

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