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The Prisoner of Second Avenue
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Tuesday 16th - |
The Tower Theatre performing |
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Review by Siproa Levy in the Camden New Journal
So you think you've got problems? Wait until you meet Mel Edison, the unlucky hero of Neil Simon's tragi-comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue.
He has noisy neighbours, an insecure job and faulty air conditioning during a swelteringly hot New York summer - and this is only the first act. After the interval his world truly unravels, as his troubles pile up through job loss and a savage burglary, and he suffers a nervous breakdown.
This is not obvious comic material but in Simon's assured hands there are great gags, warmth and humanity, all brought to life in the Tower Theatre Company's confident production. Intelligently directed by Colette Dockery, this sparky and finely acted revival has lots of dark comic humour amid the existential angst.
When Mel's siblings arrive in the Act II, in the form of Michael Mayne, Celia Reynolds, Mandy Carr and Sheila Burbidge, we are offered a masterclass in comic timing.
While the Tower Theatre Company's version has no starry cast or big budget, it does have character, charm and humour in abundance and is well worth seeing.
Photography by David Sprecher
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