FringeReview UK 2026
Black Comedy
Orange Tree Theatre
Genre: Comedy, Costume, Farce, LGBTQ, Mainstream Theatre, Short Plays, Theatre
Venue: Orange Tree Theatre Richmond
Festival: FringeReview UK
Low Down
Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy, now revived at the Orange Tree directed by Caroline Steinbeis till July 11, proves itself about once a decade as the cleverest British farce after Noises Off. That’s in the UK. It still plays all over the world.
A taut, first-rate revival, though with a unique virtuosity
Review
“She was a painter. Very honest. Very clever. And just about as cosy as a steel razor-blade.” When the audience laughed Derek Jacobi, who originated the hapless sculptor’s role in 1965, was relieved. Everyone feared disaster. But Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy, now revived at the Orange Tree directed by Caroline Steinbeis till July 11, proves itself about once a decade as the cleverest British farce after Noises Off. That’s in the UK. It still plays all over the world.
Inspired by a Chinese comedy Where Three Roads Meet, Shaffer hit on the notion of playing a blackout in full lighting, where characters blunder into each other blind: then a real blackout where paradoxically the actors move fluently as if it’s light. It’s complicated by occasional torch and matchlight with tenebrous moments. It’s not often that lighting – here by Elliot Griggs – is the star. But it’s a virtuoso performance on its own.
This time John Nicholson of Peepolykus fame, tagged ‘physical comedy consultant’, joins the team to overcome challenges of in-the-round farce (has it ever been seriously attempted?). Indeed the only relief from this huit-clos-caper is a balcony ladder, ascended by three of the cast. The repertoire of collapsing chairs, a sculptor becoming a rocking chair for a colonel, tripwire cables, vanishing chairs, trap doors and actors ‘mistaking’ audience members, means it’s dangerously possible that said audience-members will collapse to the floor with laughter (as has happened before) and trip up the actors some more.
Firmly of its time – though even then few daughters over 21 needed their father’s permission to marry – Black Comedy is as happily ambered as Look Back in Anger. There’s two Germans with a potential Fawlty Towers feel, but the principle one is a refugee whose fate was anything but farcical to Shaffer; and Steinbeis herself is German.
Black Comedy transcends datedness for being so tightly woven with operator calls, public electrical services and outmoded repressions – the last its mainspring – that these become analogues to the physical farce itself. It means there’s little scope to interpret let alone modernize. It can’t date but offers directors less lassitude: so sadly it’s not often revived.
Penniless sculptor Brindsley Miller (a pitch-panicked Joe Bannister) has been persuaded by ambitious fiancée Carol Melkett (Leah Halle, horribly good at sotte-shrill) to borrow without permission the elegant furnishings of their neighbour Harold Gorringe (Simon Manyonda, sashaying camp urbanity till…), including a precious Buddha vase. Closeted Harold is away and they need to impress millionaire Georg Bamberger, who’s interested in Brindsley’s sculptures. And – crucially – Carol’s father the irascible Colonel Melkett (a suitable harrumph-ridden Jason Barnett); who thinks Brindsley’s a penniless good-for-whipping.
Horswhipping’s mentioned. Indeed Brindsley begins to think he’s the whipping-boy when a fuse blows them into pitch dark (where theatre lights come on), and the electricity board can’t say when their employee will arrive. But neighbours arrive or return, matches are struck and snuffed, and an ex decides to hot things up in the pitch dark.
This is late-arriving Clea (Patricia Allison) mischievous as Puck and blissful mistress not only of stolen kisses but stealing fire from everywhere: and the only one enjoying herself. Allison’s performance darks up the light: her glee is infinitely watchable, though in the cast’s pitch-black. It’s clear Clea’s anything but over Brindsley, and has designs on him avoiding mediocrity. And he’s not over her. There’s delicious queer hints about Brindsley and Harold too: Harold is jealous of Clea and doesn’t even know about Carol.
For Miss Furnival (Julia Hills, exquisitely dotty) the war’s back and, a teetotaller, she mistakenly develops a taste for alcohol, and begins chanting ‘Rock of Ages’ offstage. Whilst engineer Schuppanzigh (Chris Chilton) arrives and being German is mistaken for the millionaire. Understandably. He’s a refugee who studied philosophy at Heidelberg and has advanced views on sculpture. By the time Bamberger does arrive (Javier Marzan, John Nicholson’s colleague from Peepolykus) it’s all over but the falling.
Simon Daw’s set is eminently moveable and as the luckless Brindsley attempts to swap the Harold’s furniture back for his own tat before Harold realizes, it’s a feast of moveable chairs. And a Pollock-splashed stage-floor. Simon Slater’s sound design ushers in delicious period hits at the edges of the show’s 90 minutes, but is discreet.
A taut, first-rate revival, though with a unique virtuosity, this will strike up the Orange Tree’s own summer till the old set as it were is struck; and all decamp to temporary space for Tom Littler’s Guildford co-production of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado. Which opens first at Guildford on July 11, the last day of Black Comedy. There’s a double meaning in that.
Casting Director Helena Palmer CDG, Assistant Director Freya Griffiths, Costume Supervisor Emma Kylmälä, Wigs, Hair and Make Up Supervisor Faye Booth.
CSM Jade Gooch, Deputy Stage Manager Kate Foster, Assistant Stage Manager Zoe Hammond, Assistant Stage Manager Claire Hill, Production & Technical Director Phil Bell, Associate Production Manager Chris Galler.
Scenic Painters Stephanie Pengilly, Charlotte Cross, Production Technician Priya Virdee. Photo Credit: Sam Taylor.
