We find out how critics have been reacting to Jay Presson Allen’s play, running at the Menier Chocolate Factory until the 14th November.
Broadway World: “Clearly Capote, at least in this interpretation of events, was made and unmade by his relationships with the women in his life – he would never complete Answered Prayers, or quite recover from his falling out with the Swans. Ashford has chosen to make this element of the script explicit, to great effect, even if it doesn’t quite overcome the shortcomings of the script.”
The Guardian: “The title Tru has a silent e and question mark. Capote lied about his own life while publishing upsetting truths about others, issues more current than in his own life or this play’s. Here is a particularly frustrating example of an at least five-star performance of an at best three-star script. I’ve split the difference while wishing Tyler Ferguson a different text. A new play about Capote would require him to offer a stronger defence about treacherous use of others’ lives than a Broadway museum piece that sounds oddly light about addiction and betrayal.”
WhatsOnStage: “Tru delivers a beautifully realised evening in the company of one of the great wits of the last century, led by an understatedly magnetic Ferguson and housed in a remarkable set that puts you right inside Capote’s apartment. Despite the story never quite building to anything substantial, it is rarely less than great fun and every so often it catches you with something much sadder. Well worth pulling up a chair for.”
The Reviews Hub: “The joy of Tru is to be found in the tittle-tattle and Capote’s boasts of knowing everyone; of seeing dogs in Hong Kong and death row prisoners; of attending seven parties in two days. How much of what Tru says is true – did he really tap dance for Louis Armstrong? – is unimportant. In an invented life such as his, it’s the stories that count.”
The Stage: “Jesse Tyler Ferguson impresses as Truman Capote in this slender drama from Jay Presson Allen.”
British Theatre Guide: “Capote has an enduring allure because of his popular cultural legacy, and his life has all the touch-points for a good story, which is why Tru is one of a catalogue of bio-works. This play may not offer anything new, but it is a star vehicle, and Ferguson does not disappoint. His Capote is nuanced and appealing; of course he is buoyant, articulate and droll, but he is also a man reckoning with his own self-sabotage. That is worth watching.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “Tru is a unique opportunity to become completely enveloped in the life of Capote for 90 minutes. An effective and affecting insight into a troubled and complex man.”
South London.co.uk: “Ultimately, Truman Capote is a alcoholic, name-dropping narcissist, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s portrayal of him is brilliant.”
Theatre Weekly: “The work of lighting designer Jamie Platt and sound designer Adam Cork is exceptional at maintaining the focus on Tru at all times. The lights and sounds follow Tru as he waltzes around his living room, working to entrap Tru, as though he were a caged bird, cloistered in the four walls of his apartment. It works to keep the focus fixed firmly on Tyler Ferguson and his performance for the full 90 minutes.”
All That Dazzles: “Though the design and direction are both excellent and impressive, it is the phenomenal performance from Jesse Tyler Ferguson that leads me to recommend this so highly. Tru is a chance to see a performer at the top of their game and to be blown away by their sheer magnificence. If you’re looking for a night like no other, when I say you can’t go wrong with this production, you know it’s tru.”
The Telegraph: “Jesse Tyler Ferguson captures the In Cold Blood author’s self-loathing and hubris, but even he can’t save this shapeless monologue.”
The Standard: “Come for Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s waspish performance as Truman Capote, stay for Paul Farnsworth’s magnificent, immersive set. In Rob Ashford’s staging of Jay Presson Allen’s almost-monologue, the audience is seated around a sumptuous evocation of the writer and social gadfly’s overstuffed New York apartment.”
West End Best Friend: “Tru is a fascinating biographical piece of theatre, superbly performed, with a beautiful set. Though peppered with humorous moments and anecdotes, the tone of the piece is largely melancholic, and a cautionary tale about the frailty of fame. Sure to be well received during its limited run, Tru is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the life of Truman Capote, and the fascinating friends he alienated at the peak of his career.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/tickets/tru/