We round up the reviews for the UK premiere of Richard Greenberg’s Broadway hit play.
The Guardian: **** “Fine acting allows a crackling script to develop true warmth and Alexander Marks doubles brilliantly as the easygoing Scotty and his nervous, feckless younger brother. Sam Marks yearns sweetly for intimacy as Jeff, both the young man silently smoothing his friend’s pillow and the confident lawyer still a little in love with his friend’s mother, while Jennifer Westfeldt’s Julie delivers the second-act moments of heartbreaking tenderness. It’s a Christmas well worth waiting for.”
The Standard: *** “Blanche McIntyre directs with technical aplomb and surface polish: the cued-up laughs land big. Previous productions of Greenberg’s plays in London – Three Days of Rain, The Dazzle and his adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s – highlighted the difference in tone and taste between the world’s two great theatre cities. This one from 2013 is enjoyable enough, but in a venue supposedly dedicated to new writing you have to ask: why this, why here, why now?”
The Reviews Hub: *** “Greenberg’s flair for feeding his characters with acerbic one-liners shines throughout, and, with the lines being delivered with precision by this highly accomplished cast, they become the main joy of the evening. Otherwise, there is nothing to dislike about The Assembled Parties, but nor is there much to rave about and, on this evidence, it is not easy to understand why the play received three Tony Award nominations. This comedy is a Christmas trifle, like a light dessert served without a main course.”
Time Out: “It’s a fine line between the kind of plays in which people talk a lot and nothing really happens and it’s really profound, and the ones where people talk a lot and nothing happens and it’s really boring. The Assembled Parties can’t quite work out which it is.”
WhatsOnStage: *** “But while there’s plenty to be confused by, and a sense that you may have missed the point entirely, there’s also plenty to be entertained by. The dialogue is sharp, the plot, while sometimes bizarre, is well-paced, and the overall effect is utterly charming.”
London Unattached: *** 1/2 “The Assembled Parties is a mixed bag, with excellent female leads who are well-written. The male characters are less impressive and less well drawn by the playwright. Strong on comedy and weaker on drama, the play is worth seeing for Oberman’s performance alone.”
London Theatre 1: *** “Overall, though, there is some charm to be appreciated and some light humour to be savoured. I have no issues with the casting – but it would have been nice to have had a complete story rather than one with missing pieces.”
All That Dazzles: **** “Greenberg’s writing is beautifully realised with Blanche McIntyre’s once again inspired direction.”
The Stage: ** “Richard Greenberg’s decade-hopping family drama is disappointingly thin.”
Theatre & Tonic: **** “This is quite a gentle, meandering play that is a lighthearted and enjoyable view to brighten your spirits, but not necessarily thrill you. It is a perfect winter play and its cosiness and family drama will definitely set you in the mood for Christmas and all its traditions. If you enjoy witty plays, excellent actors and interesting discussions, then this is the show for you.”
West End Best Friend: **** “Greenberg writes witty and perceptive dialogue for his characters, hinting at what lies beneath, and he has a remarkable ability to suggest emotional depth through sometimes simple or apparently trite words.”
Plays To See.com: *** 1/2 “The Assembled Parties is funny and finely observed—a play that flows with glib finesse, even if it doesn’t quite break your heart. It’s less a sweeping family saga than a portrait of time passing.”
Theatre Cat: “The plot does thicken financially towards the end, and there’s a warm emotional Christmas revelation to leave us feeling happy, no spoilers. So yes, it’s a quality piece, very Hampstead Theatre, and would be an irresistible novel. And Tracy-Ann Oberman is a national treasure. But it is only just a play.”
British Theatre Guide: “Greenberg’s writing is erudite and witty. There are words I would have to look up in a dictionary, but that is no barrier to understanding, and there are lots of laughs. McIntyre’s production ensures that it is all deftly delivered but the comedy all part of the character, the laughs building the emotional sharing not distracting, well played by Jennifer Westfeldt’s Julie and all her guests, but with Tracy-Ann Oberman especially excelling.”
The Assembled Parties continues to play at the Hampstead Theatre until the 22nd November.