Review: Roger Hall's The Book Club stands test of time

Jodie Dorday's delivers a nuanced performance and builds a strong connection with her audience.

A sparkling revival of a play that dates from the turn of the century is a testament to the enduring appeal of Roger Hall's inimitable brand of observational comedy.

The script has been updated with witty topical references but the comedy plays out in timeless arena of human relationships and Hall's droll commentary on middle-class manners is leavened by a sympathetic understanding of human frailty and yearning.

The suburban book club setting throws up some amusing literary references with a tightly structured storyline that has the protagonist echoing the triumphs and torments of Anna Karenina.

The one-woman play places extraordinary demands on the narrator and Jodie Dorday rises to the challenge with a finely nuanced and engagingly energetic performance.

A parade of instantly recognisable types attending the book club meetings are brought to life with a skilfully deployed voices and the central character copes with vertiginous mood swings as she navigates a path through a minefield of art and adultery.

Dorday's ironic delivery effectively expresses the deeply rooted ambivalence at the heart of her character and she forges a strong connection with the audience that allows her to breeze through occasional memory lapses.

Tadpole Productions draws on a wealth of experience to maintain high-quality production values and Director Janice Finn's well-paced staging uses nicely choreographed movement to enhance the emotional roller-coaster ride.

To my mind the play is one of Hall's best as it strikes a fine balance between irony and affection. The familiar satire on middle–class foibles is nicely matched by a moving meditation on the quiet desperation of a woman who appears to have everything but is tormented by a sense that something is missing from her life.

What: The Book Club
Where & When: The Pumphouse Theatre to May 20