Pride of the West End

So this weekend I once again opted for a week night culture adventure with a evening of theatrical entertainment at the Trafalgar Studios.

So what caught my attention to warrant a school night trip to the theatre? Well a play called The Pride caught my eye a few months ago and with a cast including familiar faces Hayley Atwell and Matthew Horne, I felt it was a necessary week night dose of culture.

Flitting between the 1950's and the present day the play brings to life the inner emotional struggles faced by men in the 50's, persecuted for their feelings towards the same sex. In contrast, and with a much needed comic relief, we bear witness to the liberal attitudes towards same sex relationships and marriage in the 21st Century. 

As the play opens we are introduced to Phillip, husband to Sylvia and typically assumed to be the ideal and charismatic 1950's husband, who meets Oliver, a children's writer, who is working on a book with Sylvia. Immediately there is a stifling atmosphere when both men meet and you begin to feel slightly uncomfortable about the awkwardness, especially the erratic conversations and silences. Soon we learn looks can be deceptive and Phillip's characters is unraveled and we discover his own internal struggles. We are then thrown forward in time to the present day where we once again meet Oliver, but in this time he is a sex addict, a lovable character though, who can't help, but cheat on his partner Phillip. Sylvia is Oliver's long suffering friend who is trying to find a way out from their smothering relationship to find love and a life of her own. 

I can't really say anymore as it will give away the story, but the play and the actors bring to life the inner struggles faced by many, to be themselves. Something that we take for granted.

The acting was superb. I'm a huge fan of Hayley Atwell and she was absolutely brilliant and like the rest of the cast members she  was able to switch from her 50's to present day character in the blink of an eye. Similarly Al Weaver and Harry Hadden-Paton had been gripped from the moment they took the stage - they are names I'll be keeping an eye out for in the near future. The one surprise was Matthew Horne who I'm most used to seeing as Gavin on popular TV show Gavin and Stacey. His role in the play helped to steer the comedy in the present day scenes. His different characters had me in stitches.

The only disappointment? When the lights dimmed at the end! What happens to Oliver and Phillip? Where does Sylvia go? Could we just have five more minutes please?

If you didn't get a chance to see it then don't worry, as they are taking the show on tour across the UK so there will be plenty of opportunities to see it. Visit www.thepridewestend.com for more information.