Review: Doughnut Drive (Drayton Arms Theatre)

I was invited to review Doughnut Drive, a new comedy-thriller play by Finella Waddilove, and it appealed greatly as I enjoy thrillers in book form more than any other genre.

The play began with a stage void of any set or props apart from a table with a glass of water on it.  This was a clever way to focus the mind as without any other distractions, it instantly became a reference point and made you wonder why this was present.  Bex (Sarah Parkins) then delivered a speech as head of the car dealership she took over responsibility for when her dad died. She was also, ironically, almost at the end of a driving ban.

Bex then made a daft decision and broke her ban the night before it ended, for the sake of satisfying a McDonalds craving of all things. This ended up with disastrous consequences, so she got her bestie, Yaz, on the case, to try and help her work out what she should do next, with the depth of the situation she’s created for herself evolving as the play continued.

As well as being responsible for the writing, Finella Waddilove played the role of Yaz, and also directed the play. The performance as Yaz was so entertaining with perfect comic timing, and the two characters bounced off each other well; it was a great depiction of a long-established friendship where two people look out for each other and (mostly) tolerate the flaws of the other for the sake of the relationship. It was almost an analysis of how two people can have a friendship that works, despite all of their differences. In this case, Bex who had been forced to grow up and step into her father’s shoes whilst still grieving him, and Yaz, who was still rather childlike, obsessed with doughnuts and film club, and unable to take much seriously, on first appearances.

The sound design by Cameron Pike added atmosphere throughout the play, with the sort of scaffolding you hardly notice due to the fact that the sounds are embedded within each scene seamlessly.

Similarly the lighting added to the production, enhancing the changes of pace and scene.  These two elements along with very minimal furniture and prop changes helped moved the location from car salesroom to hospital and other locations.

Voiceover actors were also utilised to flesh out the cast, with a newsreader (James Gooderson) being the most comedic of all of them.

Both of the performers we saw on stage delivered wonderfully, their characters and friendship entirely believable. The comedy was constantly there, and well received by the audience.  But the thing holding this play together so successfully is the writing, which is very well developed. The balance of humour and grief, anxiety and vulnerability is expertly crafted, and the pace is intense throughout.

I would be very keen to see future work by this talented team.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.