The Diary Of A Nobody,
seems like an odd choice for a theatrical adaptation. Based on the work of the same name from
George and Weedon Grossmith first published in 1888, the relevance of the piece
and its sense of comedy was completely lost on me.
The fictional diary details the life of Charles Pooter, a
Victorian gent with ideas far above his station. Living with his wife Carrie and son Lupin,
the play deals with their struggles living in high society. The only constant is that his mustard and
cress seeds refuse to grow – attempting high drama out of the mundane. This is the point of the piece, but it makes
for an unremarkable and banal narrative amidst farcical humour.
What’s more the narrative gets lost in comic chaos. In part this is due to the actors playing
multiple parts as they jump rapidly from scene to scene – it certainly takes
time for the audience to settle into the play’s hectic rhythm. As Pooter himself notes at one point after attending
the theatre, “I could barely follow the play”.
The script has its witticisms but mostly lacks comic punchlines, despite
the actors offering knowing looks to the audience. Perhaps to compensate for this, the humour
relies on bizarre characterisation, silly accents, cross-dressing and amusing physicality
to generate laughs – something that quickly descends into silliness.
It starts well enough.
The set and prop design from Carin Nakanishi is cleverly cartoon-like,
its monochrome hand-drawn feel providing the perfect backdrop for the colourful
characters. Jake Curran cuts an imposing
stage presence as the eloquent Charles Pooter with excellent comic timing and
Jordan Mallory-Skinner is more than just a one-note cross-dressing joke as
Pooter’s wife, flipping from weeping to laughter with cartoonish ease. Other characters amuse, such as a spitting
French waiter and an actor forever quoting Shakespeare, whilst a séance scene
in the second act is a highlight. And there
are a handful of genuine laughs peppering the play as a whole, mostly stemming
from the juxtaposition between the on-stage action and diary entries narrated
by the peripheral characters in quips to the audience.
Too quickly, however, it all descends into madness. The frantic pace of the production rushes by in
a blur, with some action occurring to the extreme sides of the stage or behind
poorly constructed props that’s difficult for the audience to follow. By the end of the production, the set is
falling apart, whilst props, confetti and items of costume are strewn across
the stage in a messy aftermath. It’s an
exasperating watch that’s lacking in both polish and clever humour.
2/5
Watch: The Diary Of A
Nobody runs at the White Bear Theatre until 21st June.
