Open Theatre wrapped up their final show for this semester with an original comedy written by Robin Leitch and Joshua Ling. Set in the quaint kitchen of an old Yorkshire woman’s home, events soon escalate as Diedre Edgeworth discovers that what is blocking her sink is slightly more important than carrot peelings: she appears to have the entire solar system lodged within her pipes. The two act play escalates into ridiculousness as thirteen other members of society including the Army and the Prime Minister soon become involved in this obscure scenario.

Impressively produced over an intense three week period, Joshua Ling’s direction was aesthetically pleasing, and protagonist Diedre Edgeworth (portrayed by Madeline Grey) was consistently humorous and engaging to watch. Needless to say, the medium sized cast showed commitment to their performances and even the smallest of roles, was conveyed with thought and creativity. The set was small and although the whole cast managed to fit in the kitchen, it almost seemed a bit too cramped. However, it was clear that this was just one of many comedic elements of the play.

Although the audience were engaged throughout the quirky drama, a few elements of repetition, such as the news reporter section, seemed to be less effective. The motif in question featured a news reporter and her camera woman along with a slightly annoying rendition of the BBC news theme tune. Whilst this was one of few ineffective moments, Molly Boydon and Imogen Nield still managed to make the audience grin with their spiteful onstage relationship.

The cast of Open Theatre were consistent throughout with their performances during. ‘…But the Kitchen Sink;’ the stage was never empty and action occurred at all times during the play. It was enjoyable to see the detail of the ensembles performance; those who were not involved remained committed to their roles which gave this comedy a professional gloss. The overall pace of the show was slick and it is a wonder to consider what else the cast and crew could have done should they have had longer than three weeks to produce this play.

Mark McDougall