Discover what critics have had to say about Amy Jephta’s drama, being performed at the Royal Court theatre until the 8th February.
The Guardian: **** “Under the direction of Nancy Medina, the satire glints with sharp edges, reminiscent of Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage in its barbs and verbal volleys. There are great performances from Mazibuko and Khayisa, who grow in depth as they defend their positions or switch between standpoints. The white couples have less to do, and are far flatter.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “The entire play, keenly directed by Nancy Medina, is fast-moving and very funny, puncturing assumptions and attitudes with swift and searing observation. But it also teeters on the edge of something unreal; on Ultz’s set, defined by a square of light on the floor, each couple sets up the furniture of their homes, pulling their differing lives and aspirations into place.”
The Upcoming: ***** “Jephta and director Nancy Medina stand back and allow this slow burn to smoulder as it stokes a great many thoughts within us. Well-structured and wonderfully performed, A Good House is simply a great piece of theatre.”
The Stage: **** “Amy Jephta’s incisive comedy skewers the malignant prejudices simmering within a privileged enclave in South Africa.”
All That Dazzles: **** “At one hour 40 minutes with no interval, A Good House speeds by. Though a comedic play on the surface, this is far more serious than that with the comedy a way of highlighting these issues and microaggressions. Uncomfortable to watch at times but always captivating, this is an exceptionally written piece brought to life by a consistently stunning cast.”
The Telegraph: ***** “Exhilarating and an utter joy to watch. Amy Jephta stakes a strong claim to being one of South Africa’s leading contemporary playwrights.”
Time Out: “In the meantime, Jephta plants and uproots all those little shibboleths of middle classdom: what do we mean by ‘decent people’, ‘good neighbourhood’, etc? Stuffed full of amazing lines, and with six super performances, essentially: A Good House is a very good play.”
Everything Theatre: **** “This is the first performance of the play, and Amy Jephta’s writing is startling. It’s a fast-paced script which has you laughing one minute and shrinking into your seat in uncomfortable horror the next. The racism, and Sihle and Bonolo’s differing reactions to it, are hard to witness.”
Theatre Vibe: “David Byrne’s tenure of the Royal Court goes from strength to strength with this play A Good House by Amy Jephta and produced jointly by the Royal Court, the Bristol Old Vic and the Market Theatre Johannesburg.”
London Theatre.co.uk: *** “Jephta presents a housing complex masking as a community, where there are as many invisible walls as there are physical ones between its residents. But like Stillwater’s unwanted shack that’s still sprouting and expanding, this play, with its cracking premise, still has room to grow.”
To book tickets visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/a-good-house/