Maybe August Strindberg deserves to roll in his grave because of his well known hatred of women.

The House Party is said to be “A modern reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie”.  This production is as close to Strindberg as Dolly Parton’s Nine to Five !  It loses the power play of a spoilt, rich girl seducing her servant and becomes the story of a threesome where a spoilt, rich girl Julie (Synnove Karlsen) betrays her best friend Christine  (Sesley Hope) by having sex with her friend’s boyfriend Jon (Tom Lewis) at a wild party to celebrate her 18th birthday. 

I think this is the most disappointing play I have seen produced by Headlong, once the Oxford Stage Company headed up by Rupert Goold and Jeremy Herrin.  Holly Race Roughan the current Artistic Director, directs here.

It is also worth saying that since the near brilliant reviews in Chichester, in May last year, The House Party has lost the three main stars and other cast members and the total cast is now ten, whereas it was twelve.  However, the fault lies in my opinion, with how it is written with underdeveloped characters.

What is conveyed well is the party atmosphere with movement from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham with loud music and darkened lighting and strobes breaking up the images, as the largely unused cast dance all over the furniture.   

Chichester also had an interval before the added on last scene and indeed a programme would have been useful for author Laura Lomas to explain what she was trying to achieve in this version of Miss Julie.  

I wasn’t convinced by anyone’s sexual attraction to anyone else nor by Christine’s attitude to downing shots the night before her interview at the University of Cambridge.  Headlong can be grateful Theatrevibe doesn’t give stars.