Right Dishonourable Friend – VAULT Festival, Waterloo

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

Writer: Eoin McKenna & Phoebe Batteson-Brown

Director: Kayla Feldman

“Punchy & Political”

3 / 5

~This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub ~

Lancashire’s newly appointed MP, Perdita, has arrived fresh from London ready to hit the ground running. While she may be a nepotism hire due to her father being the former Home Secretary, she’s confident she has the skills to bring the best out of her new neighbourhood – her constituents, however, are nowhere near convinced.

Local comms manager Daniel (Eoin McKenna) is very likeable, eagerly trying to make a difference in his local community for the better. His vision is to tackle the lack of LGBTQ+ support throughout Lancashire and its surroundings and is keen to garner assistance from Perdita to set up a charity / shelter with Government backing. But, although supposedly warm to the idea, can Perdita escape the chains of her childhood and carve out her career alone? Or will she forever remain a political puppet, deemed to climb the ladder using immoral methods and unsavoury connections rather than through hard graft and a robust plan?

Nepotism, political privilege, LGBTQ+ issues, the North vs South divide, and homelessness are all sensitively, yet strongly broached during this hour-long show. Writers and performers McKenna and Batteson-Brown are clearly not only passionate, but also well researched, cleverly outlining each of their many themes without the storyline getting too overcrowded. They sprinkle an undercurrent of humour throughout the show, lightening what would otherwise be quite a heavy script – many of the comedic lifts originating through Rachael Hilton who plays various roles with ease. McKenna & Batteson-Brown are both strong performers, bringing their well-written script to life on stage.

With 10 Downing Street having somewhat of a revolving door over the past few years with a seemingly never-ending string of scandals and breaches of ministerial code, this show couldn’t be better timed. Highlighting the inequalities and underhand practices that take place makes for an evening of eye-opening entertainment.

Runs until 18 February 2023