The Sunshine Boys

Back to the theatre tonight, at least in part enticed by being able to purchase good seats in the stalls for £20. From which one might deduce that the Sunshine Boys was struggling at the Box Office. Seemed pretty full to us though.

Its had slightly mixed reviews, but I would certainly say I had my money's worth. Danny De Vito was a perhaps slightly surprising addition to the long list of US actors coming across the Pond to have a run in the West End. Surprising as I didn't really have him down as a stage actor, and also I hadn't heard anything of him for years. But he was very good as a curmudgeonly old vaudeville performer refusing to retire gracefully. And to be fair, he was also a bit more of a natural choice for a Jewish New York comedian than Richard Griffiths. Griffiths is of course a fine actor, but unfortunately one's first impression when he comes on stage now is just how huge he is. We aren't just talking fat, we are talking inflated.

Its certainly an entertaining enough play with a lot of good lines, but at the end of it one doesn't feel that it was wonderful. But good enough. So I might manage a warm recommendation maybe, but not a must see.