Showcased from August 12 to 24 in @thespaceuk, Dinner, directed by Fern Boston is a gripping, mesmerising, and electric production that leaves audiences immersed in a dinner party gone dark. A retelling of Moira Buffini’s 2002 play entitled Dinner, we follow our host Paige and celebrate the publication of her husband’s latest book. In attendance is Wynne, Hal with his wife Siân, and Mike, a stranger who knocks at the door to use the phone but is invited to stay. As this aristocratic dinner party progresses, dark secrets are delivered along with each platter of food. From affairs to attempted suicides to old hatches that have never quite been buried, the complex relationships and tensions between each character are devoured by the audience.
“Over this dinner table, there is an abundance of nuanced expressions, visual daggers being thrown in retort to snide comments, and deep looks of passion that swing between love to hate and everything in between”
Armed with a script packed with razor-sharp wit and dynamic stage directions, the cast, who perfectly embody their roles, is what makes this production such a success. Having mastered the art of exposition without words, their facial expressions and body language as they interact with one another provide more context than dialogue ever could. Over this dinner table, there is an abundance of nuanced expressions, visual daggers being thrown in retort to snide comments, and deep looks of passion that swing between love to hate and everything in between. The cast have done such an incredible job at capturing the essence of their characters in every movement and glance that the audience has no choice but to be submerged in their world. This group of talents is definitely one to watch.
