The Unfriend
For the New Year, the Barn Theatre is excited to present Steven Moffat's The Unfriend, opening on 16th January.
As a TV creator, Steven Moffat has become a household name through series like Dr Who and Sherlock. The Unfriend is his first stage show; after its premiere in 2022, it enjoyed two successful runs in London's West End. A relatable, modern comedy of manners, it opens an amusing window on family life while hinting at darker themes.
The story opens aboard a cruise ship, with a British couple, Peter and Debbie, meeting Elsa, a larger-than-life fellow passenger from Denver, Colorado. Pleasantries and contact details are exchanged, leading to a correspondence and, inevitably, an announcement from Elsa that she is coming to stay with her new acquaintances. The suspicion raised through the Internet that Elsa may not be all she seems ratchets up the tension for Peter and Debbie. Over and above the ordinary pressures of hospitality, they have to contend with the possibility that their guest might, just might, be a serial killer.
The Brits avowedly lead a life of stultifying politeness and normalcy: “dying of manners”, as one character puts it. From the moment she arrives, brash and charismatic Elsa starts to shake things up. The effect is most clearly seen on Peter and Debbie's children: with Elsa's encouragement, son Alex and daughter Rosie emerge from their rooms and start engaging with the world, through exercise and social interaction. Peter himself starts to loosen up, at one point even dropping in on an acquaintance without sending a text in advance!
It will not be lost on audiences that Elsa has something in common with Moffat's most popular characters: like the Doctor and like Holmes, she is a powerhouse outsider whose relationship with conventional standards of behaviour is tenuous, and whose beneficial impacts on society are mingled with darkness and even harm. Her nickname, “Murder Poppins”, succinctly captures the ambiguity.
Director Hannah Humbles and Production Manager Francine Ross were drawn to the play by virtue of the characters' relatability. The production design provides a naturalistic setting for the action, while the seasoned cast of performers support a range of registers, including social satire, broad farce, and moments of psychological insight. One character, known only as “Neighbour”, is played as a remarkable monument to passive aggression.
The Unfriend was originally intended for a 2020 premier (delayed, in the end, because of covid), and it makes explicit reference to the first Trump administration. It may be tempting to interpret the play as a political allegory, with Elsa as a surrogate for MAGA (if you like, a 21st-century reworking of Max Frisch's classic, The Fire Raisers).
At the same time, it stands for itself as a study in just how far people can be pushed before the stresses and strains of polite accommodation prove too much to endure. It is a dark farce, comedic and serious at the same time. It contains some strong language, making it suitable for children over 12 (with parental guidance) and adults.
The Unfriend runs at the Barn Theatre from Friday 16th to Saturday 24th January, evenings 8pm, matinee on 24th January, 2.30pm.
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