REVIEW: QUITE THE SCANDAL by Siah Harrell at The Hen and Chickens / Camden Fringe 16 – 18 August 2023

‘an enjoyable, laugh a minute slapstick comedy’ ★★★

What happens when a white middle class man marries a Black, British Jamaican women and they move to the English countryside? The answer is a comedy of errors entitled, Quite the Scandal.

Tabitha and her husband Charles engage in fast paced comedic dialogue from the first scene, accurately portraying the relationship between a couple in a long suffering marriage. This is credited to the chemistry between the two actors Martine Harrison who plays Tabitha and Victoria Alcock-Rodriguez who plays Charles. The physical comedy between these two actors is expertly timed and executed.

The son of Tabitha and Charles, Nicholas, played by Alex Part, had the task of embodying a mixed heritage, middle class, privately educated young man discovering his sexuality. The script did not afford this character the space to expand and grow into what all those elements could mean within the family and the wider world, but did provide enjoyable comic moments. The boyfriend of Nicholas, Tanky, played by Archie Bush served as love interest that didn’t add too much to the narrative, but served as part of the twist. The mother of Tabitha was a strong Caribbean matriarch whose character was not explored fully. However, she added texture to the story as a whole. This was an enjoyable, laugh a minute slapstick comedy.

QUITE THE SCANDAL by Siah Harrell at The Hen and Chickens / Camden Fringe 16 – 18 August 2023

Box Office https://camdenfringe.com/events/quite-the-scandal/

DIRECTED BY ROSANNA PIKE AND CAMERON ROBINSON

CAST: MARTINE HARRISON (TABITHA)

MONIQUE WALKER (GRANDMA/PATRICIA)

VICTORIA ALCOCK-RODRIGUEZ (CHARLES)

ALEX PART (NICHOLAS)

ARCHIE BUSH (TANKY)

Reviewed by Paula David