WHY did 'The Unfriend' do THIS?? (Criterion Theatre Review 2023)

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I didn't enjoy The Unfriend NEARLY as much as I could have done because of ONE small problem.
Here's my 2023 review, based on the show's limited run at the Criterion theatre.

From The Unfriend's website:
Following its acclaimed sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre, prepare to welcome The Unfriend to the West End for a strictly limited run at the Criterion Theatre.
This riotous dark comedy from writer Steven Moffat and director Mark Gatiss, the award-winning team behind BBC’s Sherlock, stars an uproarious cast including Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) and Frances Barber (Silk)
While on holiday Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA. She’s less than woke but kind of wonderful. They agree to stay in touch - because no one ever really does, do they?

When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online. Too late, they learn the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski. Deadly danger has just boarded a flight to London! What began as a casual holiday friendship is now a threat to the lives of their children.

Peter and Debbie now face the ultimate challenge of the modern world - how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming a bit impolite?

Because guess who’s coming… to MURDER.
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Interesting. I’m doing this play as Peter as it’s released for amateurs and have read the bit in the script you’re talking about. I believe the point of this setup is to make the audience feel less on side with Elsa. Peter has no lines whilst Elsa talks about barnaby’s daughter being over weight and Debbie tries to interject trying to make light of the words that Elsa is saying. I think you’re supposed to feel awkward about Elsa and more at ease with Peter and Debbie, otherwise you’d be forgiven for believing Elsa’s the main character. Any laughs from the fat jokes are likely aimed at Elsa for being so outlandishly rude, rather than directed at someone who’s overweight. It sets up the character roles early, obviously important at the start of any play. Shame it stuck out for you though, not saying you were wrong for that

adamstevens
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I thought that it was supposed to be alienating of Elsa. Showing that she's quite an awful person. The couple didn't laugh, only Elsa thought she was being great with the fat jokes.

gy-gb
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So. I just saw the Bulgarian touring production by Artvent. It was something. While I can appreciate the effort of adapting and translating the original (even keeping most of the jokes as close as can be) - this one was not for me.

The show had a weird vibe to it - loved the staging, the lighting, the soundscape throughout - a lot of effort went into that obviously - but I felt myself having a chuckle when nobody else was and also not laughing/enjoying some moments compared to the audience around. There was a lot of “hate my wife/husband/parents” humor, the neighbour was either not well adapted or just not well written, Alex (the son) was mostly used for comic relief and potty humour, but for me the last nail was likely the episode of the wife having a retrospection on not killing people and how it was all just swept away, not a single meta commentary attempt or showing that this is actually valid and something closer to human experience.

It seems to tour well here, having full theatres all around the country, so it might have something to do with the older generation all growing up with such humor. For me it was a lengthy and quite uneventful play that tried to cram in too many random and unrelated jokes, sometimes one after the other.

emiltoteb
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I would have felt the same too. Very interesting vid. And some of the comments.

timbpmusic
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This is clearly, someone over thinking something they've just seen. It's just giving you and insight into a character.

I read the script last night and it was bloody hilarious.
I was getting Friday Night Dinner vibes.

leeconnelly
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I feel you are just being too sensitive on behalf of a community you are not a part of. I am an overweight person and quite enjoyed the show. Shrugging off the whole play because of a few jokes is equivalent to throwing your toys out of the pram.

artofdrinking
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Fat jokes are lazy writing at the expense of people who are already often treated poorly.

nicoletrudell
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You're apologetic - and it sounds to me like you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. The play sounds like proper rubbish.

imru
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Really interesting and thoughtful piece - I was sorry I was just missing it but now not quite as sure
Still would have liked to see Reece as I love his work

Jk-uswt
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I so agree! I saw it a couple weeks ago and the fat jokes at the start were really unneeded. As a teenager, I was visibly younger than most of the audience and I felt out of place. One joke was okay, but 5 times?! If Moffat had let that out it wouldn’t have changed the plot at all. Aside from this, Reece and Amanda were breathtaking. The casting and the set was perfect.

yellamos
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So fat jokes arent appropriate, but the insinuation that older people are not politically correct is OK? Hmm.... pot and kettle come to mind.

carolineburr
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Do you not understand that the character of Elsa is obviously supposed to be over the top, brash, judgemental etc? This is slap stick comedy. This was a brilliantly acted and well written comedy. It is like people who get offended over 60's and 70's comedies and don't understand characters like Alf Garnett, for example. The point of that is, that the character is so awful and incorrect, it is showing how this behaviour is wrong. The story of how The Unfriend came about was in the programme and is developed from there. I guess it was for the more mature viewer.

sophiegafney
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If you are on facebook would you unfriend stephen moffat dr who knew?!

matthewetheridge
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i agree...harder to write ""real comedy."" then to just write a no-thought joke

evan
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Hmm, sounds pretty juvenile to me. Definitely one to skip for me.

Lynnys
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Please learn how to say marks last name it's pronounced gay tiss.

sarahbaker
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