The Nasty Side of Naples: 'The Rover' at The New Diorama

I was curious to see how a large-cast play could fit into a space that was ideal for a one-woman show. Or so I thought the first time I was here a year or so ago.( The play  called, I think, 'Three Days of Grace' and was about a woman waiting for a fridge to be delivered. )



I was confident my companion would like the venue - a very modern theatre and bar in the swish Regents Place development off Marylebone Road.

The  box office assistant was taken aback because the press night was not until the next night and the programmes weren't ready. After some kerfuffle the director, a remarkably calm young woman in a long skirt, produced a cast list.

As it was  a hot night we sat out on some steps until the start time. Then we trouped into  a black box kitted out with tiered orange seats.  A strong odour came from a  thick layer of straw that covered  the acting area.

It was an odd,  an air-freshener smell that reminded me of a bathroom spray called 'Summer Meadows' . It turned out to be a metaphor for  sexual morality in  seventeenth century Naples. That and the costumes were the best thing about the production . The straw was scattered across the foyer by the time we left.  I hope they were less heavy-handed with the air-freshener on the press night. 

My review is on the Remote Goat website.