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.