Sideways: The Play. If you loved the movie, to be sure you’ll love the play adapted for the stage by original Sideways novelist, Rex Pickett, and deftly directed by David Grindely.
Clearly the play is nowhere near as scenic as the film set in the lilting landscape of California’s wine country (and I must admit I haven’t read the book … yet). Still, a spare and smartly crafted set works wonders (or perhaps just doesn’t get in the way of) bringing focus to Pickett’s characters, their relationships and the sharp and deep plunging dialogue between them. I laughed – and cringed – a lot more while watching the play than I remember doing when I first saw the movie (and I really loved the movie).
As with the film, the characters (two old friends from Los Angeles on a stag weekend in California Wine Country and the two women they encounter there) are pathetic souls. And by pathetic I mean they seriously need to get their grown ass acts together but equally mean that they could elicit good reason for potent pity from any half-attentive audience.
Daniel Weyman – as the emotionally feeble ultra wine snob Miles – and Simon Harrison – as Jack, whose epic libido dwarves his already shoddy short term memory – create an interpersonal train wreck that’s a marvel to behold, one doubly bolstered by the chemistry added when a vulnerable yet brave Maya (well portrayed by Ellie Percy) an her friend, the foxy and gullible Terra (played by an energetic Beth Cordingly) are inserted into their tipsy chaos.
Sideways: The Play runs until 9 July 2016 at the St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA. Find out more at stjamestheatre.co.uk.
