Although we know that this competitive threesome cannot end well, the shocking ending has dimmed over 60 years with our exposure to everything from the vicious blinding of Gloucester to Quentin Taratino’s films.  Peter McKintosh’s set is a work of art.  We know that Ed and Kath’s house is in the middle of a rubbish dump.  More houses were planned but never got built.  The circular revolving stage sits on black painted rubbish furniture and prams and up above hangs a whole myriad of items to spot, a birdcage, push chair, high chair, other chairs, step ladder, a cot, a bath, a spinning wheel.  Many of these items remind us of baby equipment, no longer needed and now cast out.  Goodness knows what it would all fetch on Bargain Hunt!

Tamzin Outhwaite has fun with pretending that Kath’s dentures have dropped out and retrieving them from the floor. Her lips pulled over affect her speech and we feel her distress.  As Kath’s controlling brother Ed, Daniel Cerqueira in a business suit has a sinister presence and a short fuse. 

After the interval there is a visually exciting dance lit by spots and strobes with loud rock music.  Mr Sloane turns nasty but wasn’t quite sinister enough in this play full of quirky characters. This is an interesting well directed production with the audience on four sides with its show atopping set.