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Captain Oates’ Left Sock

Published Monday 12 January 2009 at 10:40 by Sally Stott

Classic comedy writer John Antrobus’ anarchic play set in an NHS therapy group pointedly explores who’s qualified to help who, but this revival sadly doesn’t manage to translate the sixties humour of the original into the 21st century.

With almost as many actors as audience members squeezed into the Finborough’s snug space, the staging seems a little odd (the initial 1969 performance was at the Royal Court). Director Russell Bolam’s decision to seat the cast in a semicircle for the majority of the action does little to help the actors engage with one another and somewhat defeats the object of the promenade staging. Indeed, the setup feels more suited to a radio reading than a theatre play.

A number of the performers tease out some good moments of observational humour, but the dated depiction of the female characters rapidly starts to grate.

The second act takes a more frenzied approach with spurts of physicality and impromptu nudity - the latter feeling a little too intimate due to the close proximity of the action.

While the company’s ambition to revive under-appreciated plays is admirable, more thought could be given to staging them in a way that enables an audience to gain an insight into their original appeal.

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