This summer the National Theatre welcomes ‘not another play about posh people’ to the Olivier stage. Over ten years ago, Richard Bean’s One Man, Two Guvnors premiered at the National’s Lyttelton theatre, a new adaptation of Servant of Two Masters now set in 1963 to huge critical acclaim. Now Bean has teamed up with Oliver Chris, one of the stars of One Man, Two Guvnors, hoping to replicate their hit with Jack Absolute Flies Again. Based upon The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Jack Absolute transports us back to 1940s Britain where Malaprop Hall, owned by the infamous Mrs Malaprop, has been requisitioned by the RAF to help with the war effort.

Jack Absolute features a strong ensemble cast of familiar faces including Caroline Quentin, Peter Forbes, Kelvin Fletcher and Kerry Howard and they do not disappoint. As with One Man Two Guvnors, Bean and Chris give their characters their own quirks and comical identities such as Roy’s (Jordan Metcalfe) deep relationship insecurities and Lydia’s (Natalie Simpson) attempts at Cockney rhyming slang. Every character succeeds in making the audience laugh, a difficult task well achieved by both the actors and writers. 

Mrs Malaprop, played by Caroline Quentin, lives up to her name with each hilarious line. Quentin delivers them with such brilliance, it is easy to forget what a hard task it is to get these right and have each one land. She introduces the play, setting the tone for what we are about to see and has the audience in the palm of her hand from the outset, something she continues to do whenever she is on stage. The play features asides from most characters, something which the play does very well to keep the audience on side. Kerry Howard as Lucy the maid spends the most time with the audience, explaining that this is a restoration comedy and helping us and the characters to not take things too seriously with a wonderful sense of command. 

Other standouts are Peter Forbes who plays the terrifying Sir Antony Absolute to brilliant comedic effect and James Corrigan as Bob ‘Wingnut’ Acres who is able to deliver the most simple lines to universal hilarity. 

As the play begins, we enter into an almost Shakespearean comedy storyline where mistaken identities and muddled messages appear to be preventing our lovers from getting together. It is a very fun series of scenes acted on small effectively decorated set pieces that appear from the back and sides of the stage for new rooms. 

Act One ends with digital animations filling the auditorium, showcasing the RAF pilots in flight. It is this moment that reminds an audience that, despite the comedy and lighthearted feeling throughout the first hour of the play, we are in a serious war setting. However, when we pick up in Act Two with this, the play doesn’t quite hit the emotional level needed to depict this and equally does not return to the jovial that was so enjoyed by audiences prior to this point. It heads into a different direction, focusing less on the ‘will they won’t they’ and quick humour we have gotten used to, and this risks losing an audience who are so very on board throughout Act One.

It is the second act when the play seems to fall from the highs of Act One. This act is still laced with very funny moments, including a brilliant moment from Quentin featuring a ukulele, but these are less frequent and memorable than in the first half of the play. There is a fun, energetic dance number, a nod to Fletcher and Quentin’s time on Strictly Come Dancing, though on the whole, this adds little to support the story’s progression. Jack Absolute Flies Again ends with a poignant moment where the audience almost achieves the emotions the play hopes we will reach, but it never quite gets there nor for long enough for it to be effective. 

This is a very funny play with a brilliant cast capable of delivering Bean and Chris’ new play. It doesn’t quite live up to the legacy of One Man, Two Guvnors and in the second act the intention of the play becomes a little lost. With a multiple laugh a minute script, Jack Absolute has huge potential to reach new heights should the second act find its footing with greater consideration.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Cat Hancock

Jack Absolute Flies Again plays at the National Theatre until 3 September, with tickets available here.