REVIEW: HAPPY HOUR by Andy Walker at Upstairs at the Gatehouse 16 – 28 May 2023

‘Happy Hour takes the ‘demon on the shoulder’ trope and gives it a new spin’ ★★★★ ½

We all know the stories. We’ve heard about them, we’ve read about them,

some of us have even lived them, one way or another. Jacqui’s story is one of them.

She’s an alcoholic. There’s that dreaded word. Alcoholic. Her long-suffering

daughter Rosie knows it. And so, it seems, does everyone else in Jacqui’s life.

She herself knows it, though she does not want to admit it. And crucially, her

demon George knows it …

Superbly directed by Lesley Manning, and beautifully framed by the four walls

of a working-class home, Andy Walker’s play takes a refreshing approach to a

story we have seen acted out on stage, on film and on television many, many

times. The funny moments take the edge off, as they are meant to, though

without ever letting us forget what we are watching. A soul-crushing drama.

Stacha Hicks’s central performance as Jacqui is simply exquisite. Ellie Philpott’s

Rosie is, logically, the voice of reason, relatable and heart-breaking. And Derek

Murphy’s George … is a stroke of genius. Happy Hour takes the ‘demon on the

shoulder’ trope and gives it a new spin. George is, of course, a figment of Jacqui’s

imagination, something which we may or may not see coming straight away.

Throughout the play, the two of them pop down to the pub, then come back

home, then go off to the pub again, and again and again, all while George

secretly tries to sabotage Jacqui’s life. Murphy’s fantastic performance allows

for George’s presence to become more and more overbearing to an

uncomfortable, all-too real degree.

Happy Hour gets progressively darker as it goes on, staying faithful to its subject

matter. But there is hope, if that ending is anything to go by. There is always

hope. There is always something to aim for. Something to live for. ‘I am

somebody’, Jacqui says. She’s right.

Photography: Ross Kernahan

HAPPY HOUR by Andy Walker at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate 16 – 28 May 2023

https://upstairsatthegatehouse.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows

Cast:

Jacqui STACHA HICKS Writer ANDY WALKER

George DEREK MURPHY Director LESLEY MANNING

Rosie ELEANOR PHILPOTT

Creatives:

Producer and Sound Designer JAMIE RYCROFT

Designer HUMPHREY JAEGER

Lighting Designer EDUARDO STRIKE

Costume Designer JACKY LEVY

Casting JANE FRISBY

Reviewer: Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright, pop culture blogger, magazine contributor and film host. Her TV pilot DEADLINE, REDFERN CITY and her stage plays have reached the finals of several competitions