This is the latest one person show to head to the West End.
WhatsOnStage: **** “Cale’s script is fluid and smart, an effortlessly engrossing narrative that retains its wit even as the story darkens. Crudup charismatically mines each twist and turn, landing each line, each thought with immaculate timing. As Harry and his needs take over his persona, and the lies grow bigger and more damaging, he both allows the danger to emerge but never loses sight of the frightened, angry alter-ego beneath.”
The Guardian: *** “If the evening is ultimately a bit of a shaggy dog story, it’s nevertheless rendered with an intoxicating polish to capture the spirit of Sade’s music.”
The Independent: ** “Playwright David Cale’s narrative is a tribute to that much-loved cultural figure, the gay (or at least queer-coded) conman. From The Talented Mr Ripley to Saltburn, these stories of enigmatic, yearning anti-heroes feel like a product of 20th-century homophobia and the double lives it forced so many men to lead, their slippery charisma becoming a survival tactic, as much as a means to an end. It’s a defect in Cale’s writing, here, that the bluntly drawn titular prankster Harry Clarke has none of the inner darkness that would make sense of his baroque fabrications.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Still, there’s no disputing the eerie fascination exerted by this Ripley-esque tale, which unfolds on a bare stage, marked out only by a single deckchair, but looks into a very messy, murky mind indeed.”
Time Out: *** “Still, even taking a cynical view of it, it’s trashily entertaining and Crudup is magnetic. Certainly if you’re on a big ‘Saltburn’ comedown this will give you your next creepy little guy hit, no problem.”
Evening Standard: ** “Does it work? Ultimately, no. Crudup gives a beguiling performance and his presence here will delight established admirers. But he’s not a supernova like Sarah Jessica Parker, whose mere appearance live onstage can transcend a limp, lacklustre play.”
The Reviews Hub: **** 1/2 “There are hints of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads in the monologue’s acerbic humour and carefully camouflaged revelations. But unlike many of Bennett’s inventions, one suspects Harry is a more or less truthful narrator. With Clarke, what you see is what you get. There are hints of Saltburn and Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley here too. But unlike in those productions, Harry’s actions, grotesque and warped as they often are, are largely driven by something approximating to what he thinks is kindness. At one point he practices in the mirror over several iterations the most convincing way he can devise of confessing his love for Mark. Serpentine scheming yes, but deep down the feelings are genuine enough.”
London Unattached: “It is not easy for Cale to get this kind of writing correct, and I’m not quite sure he does. But Harry Clarke is, perhaps as a direct result, a fascinating investigation into the dark side of the human character. Crudup is a virtuoso who, with a smile on his face, seamlessly ties the knot in your belly that tightens with every laugh.”
The Stage: *** “Billy Crudup dazzles as an imposter with an identity crisis in this slight but sinister monologue.”
iNews: ** “Crudup spends the majority of the 80-minute running-time standing front and centre of the almost bare stage and there can be no questioning the actor’s energy as he powers through Leigh Silverman’s functional production. It remains, however, a self-satisfied and showboating sort of performance, which offers little clue as to any interesting interiority for Philip.”
The Arts Desk: *** ” As with Scott and Snook, Crudup faces the dual demand on memory – not just reams of text, but numerous characters and no-one but oneself to bounce off. He handles all of that with aplomb, though the accent is a challenge: posh is fine, the Cockney gallops all over the place – possibly a deliberate choice (after all, the man’s a fraud), possibly not; either way, a London audience will find it far more alienating than an American one. (I’d swear I heard flashes of Cary Grant which, if intended, would be inspired, given the Cockney component of Grant’s distinctive Mid-Atlantic delivery.)”
West End Best Friend: ***** “The writing is really smart, this is not a 19-piece play in which one man plays all the parts. It’s so much more than that. It’s sexy, funny, interesting and creepy. It asks us to consider the impact of one lie growing out of control, and analyse the reasons behind snap decisions and the impact these can have. Crudup really shines here and makes the whole thing appear effortless.”
Theatre Weekly: ***** “You know you’re watching a really good thriller, when despite hanging on every word, the eighty minute run time simply flies by. Director, Leigh Silverman utilises the stage well, creating different segments within what is a relatively sparse space.”
Theatre & Tonic: ***** ” Crudup, despite being totally alone on the stage, carries the story with great understanding, and brings so much colour to the play. He flicks from light to dark so seamlessly it only aids the authentic feeling of the performance further. This is further aided by the wonderful lighting by Alan C. Edwards – who uses lighting to serve purpose, and not over complicate the play. Without giving any of the plot away, there is a very magical moment towards the end of the play which is lit with a single spotlight on Crudup’s face – making the story even darker, and intimate than it had already been.”
Harry Clarke continues to play at the Ambassadors Theatre until the 11th May. To book tickets visit: Theatre Tickets Direct, London Theatre Direct, From the Box Office , ATG tickets or London Box Office.