Review: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CAD, The Watermill Theatre
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
When A.G. Macdonell first published The Autobiography of a Cad in 1938, the global political landscape was largely dominated by the actions of the Nazi party in Germany, so a satirical novel about a fictitious English politician set a decade earlier wasn’t particularly well timed. Indeed it was a commercial flop at the time of publication, and Macdonell is better remembered for one of his other novels - England, Their England. However, writing duo Ian Hislop and Nick Newman found a lot to laugh about in The Autobiography of a Cad, and their adaptation is currently playing at The Watermill.
Edward Percival Fox-Ingleby (James Mack), the utterly farcical protagonist, is an Eton and Oxford educated politician, who is dictating his autobiography to Miss Appleby (Rhiannon Neads). Mr Collins (Mitesh Soni) is charged with the almost impossible task of keeping the Cad’s story on track, fact checking and researching Fox-Ingleby’s tall tales, and proving them all riddled with untruths!
James Mack excels in the role of Fox-Ingleby, proving exceptionally unlikeable and aping the public school mode of address perfectly. One could be forgiven for thinking they were watching Boris Johnson addressing the nation during a Covid broadcast, and there is a Trump-esque bullishness to his insistence that he is right and everyone else is wrong. Rhiannon Neads gives a superb performance as Miss Appleby and a whole range of other small characters throughout the piece, masterfully embodying each individual with nuance and humour.
Ceci Calf’s set design is reminiscent of Gentlemen’s Clubs of the period, with bottle green wallpaper and dark wood panelling, and it provides the perfect backdrop for the upper class twittery that unfolds throughout the play. Clever use of the wooden panels allows benches and desks to be brought in and out of the playing space, and cleverly rotating portraits allow for the slick delivery of props and costume pieces.
Unfortunately, the production is too long - and feels it! With a run time of 2 hours 40 including an interval, both acts could do with some trimming. The energy of the performers is admirable, but the pace of the writing feels a little slow. We cease to be surprised by the Cad’s despicable morals and behaviour, and although there are many entertaining and laugh out loud moments, they are interspersed among lengthy monologues and scenes that feel a little samey.
The Autobiography of a Cad has great potential with some dramaturgy, and at times still feels (distressingly!) relevant given the astoundingly amoral acts of politicians the world over.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Sarah Brown