ED2012 4/5 Reviews ED2012 Theatre Reviews

Hell’s Bells By Lynne Truss (Pleasance Theatre Trust / Lynne Truss / Simon Scullion)

By | Published on Friday 10 August 2012

As the recording of a DVD audio commentary for the fictional costume drama series ‘Mrs Milliner’ progresses, politeness and good intentions descend into acid-tongued bickering, leading ultimately to the wanton destruction of some very fine hats. Truss’s script is shrewd, droll, and delights in playing with language; among a palette of hat descriptions of every conceivable design we come across an aurally delicious line about a pink cloche, apparently adorned with “witty woollen prawns”. A wonderful cast make this piece a joy to experience, and the back-and-forth banter between characters is light and irresistibly endearing: “was there really a trilby shortage in Albania in the 1920s, or did you make that up?” Original, warm, and worth every minute.

Pleasance Courtyard, 1-27 Aug (not 13, 20), 11.45am.
tw rating 4/5 | [Colette M Talbot]



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