REVIEW: RED PEPPERS / AGED IN WOOD at Tabard Theatre 28 May – 21 June 2025
‘Jason Moore’s direction of both plays gives them a sense of continuity that makes sense and feels fresh.’ ★★★★
Audiences want to laugh, the old adage goes. If nothing else, The Red Peppers/Aged in Wood double bill at the Tabard proves it to be true.
Set in 1936, Noel Coward’s short comedy Red Peppers follows a music hall husband-and-wife double act, George and Lily Pepper (Jon Osbaldeston and Jessica Martin), who deliver jokes on stage and insults backstage, both against each other and their increasingly frustrated colleagues. While plays about backstage antics are always fascinating to watch, OnBook’s production of Red Peppers is particularly enjoyable, with two outstanding central performances, as well as an impressive attention to detail that successfully brings to life the 1930s theatre scene within the confines of the Peppers’ dressing room. Martin and Osbaldeston play off each other with ease and the supporting cast does a fantastic job of keeping up with them.
The second play in this double bill, Cian Griffin’s Aged in Wood, is a much more sombre affair. Set in the present day and in the exact same dressing room, Aged in Wood follows Denna Ames (Jessica Martin), an aging actress coming to terms with the fact that she is no longer a wide-eyed ingenue. Its title is surely a reference to the much talked-about play-within-the-film in All About Eve (1950) and it’s no surprise that Deena is a sort of modern-day Margo Channing. Her career has taken a hit, her divorce is yet to be finalised, her children want to move out of the family home and her leading man can’t remember his lines. While not particularly ground-breaking in terms of the subject matter, Aged in Wood is a performance-driven piece, and that’s where it’s at. Martin delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance, showing us that comedy is about being serious, as yet another adage goes. The occasional overdone joke about the theatre, thespians and the likes is well-balanced by an array of one-liners, delivered beautifully by Avis (Emma Vansittart), Deena’s agent and best friend.
Jason Moore’s direction of both plays gives them a sense of continuity that makes sense and feels fresh. A well thought-out double bill that makes for a very entertaining night at the theatre.
Photography: Leda Omra
RED PEPPERS / AGED IN WOOD
An OnBook Theatre production
May 28 – June 21, Tabard Theatre
BOX OFFICE https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/red-peppers-aged-in-wood/
Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright and pop culture blogger. Her play HABITAT was performed in 2024 in Twickenham and her short film OPEN HELL was selected for the London Lift-Off Film Festival in 2025.
