Sixteen years after it premiered at the Royal Court, Polly Stenham’s blistering play about a dysfunctional wealthy family has lost none of its warped vitality. Imagine Oedipus Rex crossed with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and a macabre version of St Trinian’s, and you might just be able to imagine the distinctive tone of a play that makes you laugh as it lunges for the jugular.
It is hard to believe that Polly Stenham was not even 20 when she wrote this This Face; a dark and unnerving examination of parent-child relationships where teenagers try to parent immature and utterly self-indulgent parents. After debuting at the Royal Court in 2007, the play went on to win three major awards and is now belatedly revived in an excoriating version, directed by Josh Seymour.
Matt Smith 'delighted' at West End return starring in thought-provoking play standard.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from standard.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.