Theatre Review: The Cocktail Party
A Mermaids Production
21/04/2025- 22/04/2025
Directed by Hannah Savage
Produced by Faye Bamford
Written by T.S Eliot
Reviewed by Mali Delargy
History has favoured T.S Eliot’s poetry over his plays, meaning that The Cocktail Party, once a West End hit, is a curious discovery for the casual playgoer. Perhaps this can be explained by the drawing-room psychodrama becoming an outdated mode of exploring the self on stage. In the wake of the breakdown of Edward (Dylan Swain) and Lavinia’s (Imogen Griffiths) marriage, which leaves Edward to entertain an unpostponable cocktail party, a mysterious stranger arrives to orchestrate the couple’s psychoanalysis and therapy. With echoes of Euripides’ Alcestis and the story of Orpheus and Euridice, T.S Eliot explores happiness and desire in his play, which director Hannah Savage takes on in her ambitious production.
Before the play began, we were presented with a split scene of furniture, anticipating the divisions ahead. I saw a bustling London society, where pockets of knowledge pop up all over, leaving us to lag behind and catch up—almost like dramatic irony in reverse. The telephone was useful for this, interrupting conversations and delivering knowledge to one person on stage. While the costumes were fitting for the first evening of the party, more costume changes would have been a welcome addition to the production to distinguish day or circumstance.
At times I found myself tired with the scene, specifically during the argument between Edward and Lavinia, which was neither entertaining nor propelled the plot. Here I am struggling with T.S Eliot’s playwrighting, and while there certainly are problems with the script dealt with courageously by the cast, it was also unfortunate to see so many backs, too much stomping, fidgeting and unnecessarily explosive reactions. More than once did I jump in my seat.
Nevertheless, I was thoroughly entertained by the performance of Ava Cecile Samans as Julia, whose meddling interjection and heartfelt concern was beautifully portrayed. I must also commend Imogen Griffiths’ stage presence which, as always, allows the audience to suspend their disbelief and immerse themselves in the scene. It would be remiss of me to exclude from note the comedic delivery of Luke Robinson as Alex, whose larger than life character was visually dynamic and sliced the seriousness of a scene for some most necessary comic relief.
While I left the St.Age not as T.S Eliot’s greatest fan (in his playwrighting capacity at least), I was pleased to have discovered something entirely new. Hannah Savage and Faye Bamford have managed impressively to breathe life into a fossilised script, a significant undertaking. For that I commend their ability and recommend a visit, invitation or ticket in hand, to Edward and Lavinia’s cocktail party tonight.
