Richard Eyre’s new show, Quartermaine’s Terms starring Rowan Atkinson is now open at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the heart of London’s West End.
Rowan Atkinson returns to straight acting after many years in this gentle comedy-play written by Simon Gray.
Rowan’s last theatre appearance in London was in the spectacular musical, Oliver! as Fagin at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This time Atkinson plays school teacher St John Quartermaine, a much quieter, restrained character.
Rowan Atkinson in Quartermaine’s Terms at the Wyndham’s Theatre
Quartermaine’s terms centres around a teacher’s common room at a language school in Cambridge. All the central characters are somewhat dysfunctional figures bonded together by a common theme of loneliness. Mind Your Language this is not. The humour is far more understated and subtle, and Rowan Atkinson delivers a quite brilliant performance.
Eddie Loomis is a haughty character overseeing proceedings. Whilst Matthew Cottle as Mark is an aspiring novelist worried about the break-up of his marriage, a rather drab character with an idealistic but unrealistic outlook on life. Miserable Anita attempts to ignore her philandering husband’s ways. Conleth Hill as Henry Windscape is an unassuming character but with a gentle cynical view, exasperated by those around him. New teacher Derek, played by Will Keen, is self-conscious and fidgets constantly and with ever increasing rage simply struggles to get the others to even notice him or remember his name.
Meanwhile Rowan Atkinson’s St John Quartermaine quietly observes all around him but not in a satirical or cynical way. Quartermaine is an incompetent teacher despite his many years in the job, polite and kind but easily missing the point and seemingly detached from the woes and frustrations of his fellow colleagues.
This is a well observed comedy play with great dialogue provided by playwright, Simon Gray, it certainly isn’t a typical British farce played for belly laughs or a cutting satire poking fun at the education system. This is more an examination of the complex characters of the teachers, who mostly live a somewhat lonely and fragile existence. Written in the 80’s this revival of Quartermaine’s Terms is a true comedy-drama with plenty of pathos attached through Simon Gray’s poignant writing and reflecting on the characters past and their fears of the future, touching on subjects such as death, secrets, lies and loneliness never far from the surface. Gary handles all these subjects with a delicate poignancy but no so as to become self-obsessed, there is a humour to the piece which makes it an enjoyable and entertaining play providing a few laughs along the way.
Just to see the brilliant Rowan Atkinson is well worth the ticket price alone.
This show in London is only booking for a very limited season of just 13 weeks at the Wydham’s theatre, tickets for Quartermaine’s terms are already in hot demand and as you can imagine selling out fast, so book now if you want the rare experience of seeing Rowan Atkinson performing in a play at a London theatre.
Tickets are available from showsinlondon.ukds.co or call 0871 976 976 7
