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New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Theatre
A smart, prickly and rewarding view of sexual and emotional confusion
Cock
Restaurants
Kitchen W8 is a bargain for this area, if such sophistication is what you crave
Kitchen W8
Too long and drawn out but very entertaining with excellent special effects
This is a peculiar play and does not work for me. Some of it is very funny but there are real flaws
Alex has a strong powerful voice and was faultless, she is far better now than she was on the X-Factor
London,
Henry Hitchings's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Anthony Clark.
Cast: Emma Cunniffe, James Dreyfus, Helen Baxendale, Vicki Pepperdine, Aiden Gillett
Description: An in-house production of April De Angelis's comic satire about fears and double standards, set at a dinner party in a classy abode within a gated community. Directed by Anthony Clark.
Trains: Tube: Swiss Cottage 
Phone: 0207722 9301
Website: www.hampsteadtheatre.com
“I suppose on a clear day you can see the class war from here,” says one of the characters in Mike Leigh’s 1997 film Career Girls, peering uncertainly from the window of a smart London penthouse. A prescient line, given the proliferation since then of preposterous glass ziggurats — and it’s an image that haunts April De Angelis’s new play, which is set in a gated community that affords all too obvious a view of society’s divisions.
The flat where all the action takes place is home to Helen Baxendale’s Lara, a bitchy tabloid journalist, who claims a “right to feel safe” and diagnoses anyone who disagrees as suffering from “envy, the Brits’ disease”. Meanwhile, her husband Richard, a smug ex-MP, argues with guest Joe (an enjoyably sour James Dreyfus) about the correct term for their swish stronghold. They settle on “complex”.
The Freudian resonance of this word is played for all it’s worth as the brittle self-satisfaction of their world is shattered by the unsolicited arrival of working-class Shelley — one of the ants visible from the balcony — who poisons the mood with lurid stories of her dead son. And, as Shelley’s tale unravels, we spin into a demented reworking of An Inspector Calls, in which each character is implicated in the death of this very possibly non‑existent youth.
De Angelis’s play is intermittently funny, but strives too hard for topicality — with the now familiar dig at MPs’ expenses presumably a late insertion. From the opening moments it seems to be sliding uncomfortably towards farce, and the attempted pathos of the second half is inauthentic.
Aden Gillett convinces as blithe politico Richard, and Emma Cunniffe is appealing as Caitlin, the nurse who offers a nurturing alternative to his wife. But Helen Baxendale is shrill, the role of Shelley (Vicki Pepperdine) reeks of cliché, and overall the production feels flat, lacking either emotional muscle or satirical bite.
Until 13 June (020 7722 9301).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Although I am inclined to agree with some of the comments made by Henry Hitchings, I feel he missed some very important points. Okay, there was some overuse of cliche. However, James Dreyfus's character study of Joe was excellent; at first seeming to be simply "sour", the character revealed emotional layers as the play progressed. At times, I felt Helen Baxendale was more concerned about how she looked than developing a character. But even so, in the second act, she displayed a rollercoaster of emotions which made me start to care. It might not have been a perfect play, but I enjoyed the performances. It was well worth a visit.
- Donna Richards, South Wales
I am sorry but how on earth did this play get on?
Hampstead with all their funding should be shot.
An awful play with nothing new to say, the cast looked lost and the reaction from the first night said it all.
Baxendale was miss cast, Pepperdine and Cunniffe awful cliches.
Avoid.
- James Tate, london
