Review: The Autobiography of a Cad (Watermill Theatre)

The Autobiography of a Cad by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman has been adapted from the novel by A.G. Macdonell and is currently showing at The Watermill Theatre.

With a cast of 3, and James Mack (a Watermill regular) in the lead I was interested to see this on his casting alone (I will never forget his performance in The Hound Of the Baskervilles in the theatre garden, late August 2020, which reduced me to hysterics, but I digress).

The Cad is an enormous role and the marketing of this play tells you everything you need to know about his level of arrogance, vanity, and ignorance. He is an all-rounder as a vile human being and yet somehow captivating to watch.  It is also a clever play on this character to have black and white posters of him up in the theatre bar, as if his presence must be felt everywhere, even before the show begins.

The cast is completed by Rhiannon Neads and Mitesh Soni, who play the writer and fact checker for the Cad’s autobiography, along with several other characters each. In fact Rhiannon Neads plays 14 in total, and somehow makes each of them completely unique, from an ancient ancestor to a young posh friend of the Cad.   The three cast members have such a great energy together and any comic moments between them were timed to perfection.

The first thing you notice as you walk into the auditorium is the set. Designed by Ceci Calf and inspired by the interior of Victorian Gentleman’s clubs it also gives the feeling of an opulent country house. The portraits on the wall not only add a clever way to introduce some descendants but also allow comedic moments as the Cad uses a riding crop to indicate who he is talking about. In addition to that some are used as props and some become portals which allows the cast to move props around seamlessly. A really clever use of a small space.

This was quite a long play but entertaining throughout, and if you enjoy the feeling of not quite knowing whether to laugh at cringe at someone’s absurd behaviour, this is a show for you.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Autobiography of a Cad is showing at The Watermill until 22 March.