Maurice's Jubilee

Softly charming piece that doesn’t quite set the heart alight

This article is from 2012.

Maurice's health might be fading but his love for the Queen, sparked by a shared dance on Coronation night, remains undimmed. Will Maurice manage to hold on for one last encounter with Her Madge?

Nichola McAuliffe's latest comedy, Maurice's Jubilee, might sound sentimental but it's actually rather bonkers. There's a thoroughly British quirkiness to director Hannah Eidinow's show, which sees pensioners disco dance and the Queen flirt for England.

The production is grounded by a typically powerful performance from Julian Glover. Maurice's whole life glimmers in Glover's eyes, which seem to search for past emotions now lost. Sheila Reid, as Maurice's long-suffering wife, flutters about like a starling looking for somewhere to roost.

The fantastical meeting between Maurice and the Queen (McAuliffe) is a wonderful indulgence but it's also distracting. There's some dark stuff nestling behind this play about a man more devoted to the monarchy than his missus but it's never fully exposed. A softly charming piece but a touch too whimsical to really set the heart alight.

Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug (not 21), 4.25pm, £12.50--£15.50 (£11--£14).