Review: JEFFREY BERNARD IS UNWELL, The Coach and Horses Soho
Photo credit: Tom Howard
For theatre goers of a certain vintage, Jeffrey Bernard will be an instantly recognisable figure. His legendary carousing is the stuff of legend around the West End of London. The redoubtable playwright Keith Waterhouse turned his story into a razor sharp exposition of a journalist who couldn't stay sober. Peter O' Toole and Tom Conti amongst others have delivered memorable turns in the title role. Now Robert Bathurst carries the torch in this new production at the Coach & Horses public house; an inspired venue as it happens to be the very hostelry where Bernard spent many a drunken evening. The play's title is drawn from the byline used by the Spectator magazine to explain Bernard's frequent absence, which was usually code for a shocking hangover.
The Coach & Horses lies on the corner of Greek Street and Romilly Street in Soho, and bears all the hallmarks of a bygone era. Double Diamond, Ind Coope and Skol Lager are emblazoned above the optics adding to the nostalgic appeal. With no conventional performance area, Robert Bathurst wanders freely around the bar, which leaves some members of the audience straining to hear as he rightly works the room. Poor old Jeffrey has fallen asleep in the gents and awoken to find himself locked in overnight. With an attentive audience for company, he crawls over the wreckage of his life, regaling punters with tales of debauchery and indiscretion of the highest order.
Although stripped down to an hour, this abridged version of the play packs an enormous amount of detail, which is essentially a first hand account as Waterhouse and Bernard were good friends. So who better to write his story than someone who was actually there. There are genuinely funny moments as Bernard contemplates his obituary and how four broken marriages almost turned into five. Episodes involving rubber plants in Indian restaurants and competitive cat racing are strangely compelling. Morning slowly dawns as Bernard waits for Norman the landlord to arrive and it seems over before it's properly begun.
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell bears testament to a full life lived in a chronically short space of time. There is a great sense of occasion to hear these stories told in the precise spot where they happened. Framed pictures and cartoons featuring Bernard and his cronies are dotted around this cramped but welcoming pub. Robert Bathurst turns in an assured performance as Bernard. He masters a one act monologue with minimum props and no co-actors to support him. For that alone, the play deserves an extra star.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Brian Penn
Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell plays at the Coach & Horses until 21 November 2023, with further information here.