This review is based on a PREVIEW performance
It seems that just when the world has reached ABBA saturation overload, there is always something new inspired by the four Swedes (OK, three Swedes and a Norwegian as the play points out) on the horizon. The new play The Way Old Frirends Do written by and starring Ian Hallard celebrates obsession, friendship and sparkly lycra.
Schoolfriends Edward (James Bradshaw) and Peter (Hallard) re-connect when they discover each other using Grindr. Childhood reminiscences inevitably return to Peter’s obsession with ABBA. To cut a long story short, memories of a disastrous school concert where they died a death singing ABBA results in an idea is hatched to form the world’s first drag ABBA tribute with Edward and Peter as Frida and Agnetha respectively. Auditions to find the two male members of ABBA are less than successful with struggling actress Jodie (Rose Shalloo) cast as Bjorn and dotty rehearsal pianist Mrs. Campbell (Sara Crowe) gently persuaded to be the keyboard maestro Benny Andersson. All seems to be going well until the arrival of flirty 25 year old Christian (Andrew Horton), a senior member of the online chat group ABBAChat and apparently mega enthusiastic about the new tribute. But Christian hides a darker nature which will threaten the apparently bright future of this new drag super group.
Director Mark Gatiss skilfully brings out the best in this Midlands based study of eccentrics. James Bradshaw carries the bulk of the comedic banter as caustic Edward, full of double entendre and quick put downs. Ian Hallard is Peter, bisexual and whose Nan (the voice of Miriam Margolyes) remains unaware of his penchant for men, hiding the frustrations of not having a long term partner with his love of ABBA. Lesbian Sally (Donna Berlin) remains Peter’s best friend and is shoehorned into the role of road manager when the group go on tour and shouldering the bulk of the problems caused by this ramshackle mob. Rosie Shalloo gives Jodie a hippy sensibility, happy to be earning a penny from her chosen profession... albeit always cast as men. Sara Crowe’s terminally confused Mrs. Campbell is great fun throughout, always on the verge of fathoming the events of the evening. Andrew Horton as the eye candy Christian serves as something of a villain of the piece. Horton possesses him with charm as all the best villains often have.
At times the play comes over like an ABBA encyclopaedia with facts rammed down our throats from the career of the Scandi legends. The show is very much a play of two halves, the first with the bulk of the comedy, the second exploring the darker nature of Christian and his effect both on Edward and Peter, the former with self destructive power. This makes the play feel a little uneven at times, and can be classed perhaps as ‘the a funny half’ and ‘the serious half’. But by and large it is a pleasant ride, full of ABBA interludes during the scene changes and the sight of Peter and Edward as Agnetha and Frida has to be worth the price of admission. The set and costumes by Janet Bird are spot on, luring us into a time warp where the 1970s are fusing with 2015 (when the play is set).
For most of the plays two hour plus duration, the evening is great fun played to the hilt by a quality cast. The performance I attended was very much a preview, and tweaks undoubtedly will occur. In these dark times, we need a laugh and this is an evening full of them. In the words of Mr. Ulvaeus: take a chance, take a chance, take a chance-chance-chance...
Rob Cope
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