The Firm, Hampstead

Somehow have never seen a Roy Williams play, so I thought I'd give this a shot, and after a string of disappointments upstairs at Hampstead recently it was a treat to go Downstairs and encounter what might almost be called a traditional Well Made Play - in the sense of a play that rewards an audience by properly delivering in terms of setting, plot and character. The setup is almost painfully traditional; a crew of aging (and to some extent, still practicing) East End Wrong 'Uns have assembled for the a reunion with the last of their gang to emerge from the clink...but while they bicker and joke A Stranger Enters to disturb and disrupt their expectations. So, nothing startling in terms of plot or setup, but what there is is immensely detailed characterization, crackling and frequently very witty dialogue and the kind of tension that is inevitably generated as a crew of Alpha and wannabe-Alpha males jostle for status and to uncover long-hidden truths. Indeed, this latter aspect is perhaps the weakest feature of the evening; I'm not sure I totally bought the plot-line, which felt a bit like a tension-generating device, and which seemed to fizzle out somewhat in a rather under-resolved resolution? But on the plus side it's clear that the author knows this world and these people backwards, and thus they come vividly to life - I'm talking an American Buffalo-like level of detail. (All the performances are excellent, as they should be, given the richness of the material.) Wouldn't mind seeing it again - though I dunno if I'll make the effort - but I certainly feel it would be worth a return visit. About 100 mins, no interval. Tick v good.