“Celebration” by Harold Pinter
Nottingham New Theatre

The plot revolves around three couples dining in the most expensive restaurant in town. At one table are sat two brothers, Lambert and Matt, and two sisters, Prue and Julie. Lambert and Julie are married, as are Matt and Prue. They are celebrating Lambert and Julie's wedding anniversary.

Seated at another table are Russell and Suki, who later join the other party of diners. The diners' conversations are interwoven by the interjections of Richard, the restaurateur, Sonia the maitresse d', and an unnamed Waiter.

The dialogue begins as an apparently ordinary celebratory meal for the diners developing into a complex weaving of more sinister themes. The play ends with a mysterious (and 'incomplete') speech from the waiter.

The Nottingham New Theatre always try to create the right atmosphere and even before the play starts you are greeted at the door, asked about your reservation and shown to your seat by the waiter, indulging in small talk,as waiters are prone to do. A clever touch by Director Bill Hayes and Producer Skylar Hurd.

The music is typical light jazz background music with dimmed lighting, making you feel that you are part of the full dining experience. The Sound Design is by Nadia Elalfi and the Light Design by Rose Edgeworth.

With the cast already arrived, seated and enjoying their meals, you almost blend in with the surroundings. The characters though do anything but!

I've never been a massive fan of Pinter, and have probably only seen a couple of his stage plays. This play though may just make me search out more of Pinter's work, as this one appeals to my sense of fun. This, apart from the writing, was particularly made more attractive to me because of this cast, many of them I have seen before, so know the quality of their work.

Jake Levy (Lambert) and Joe Butler (Matt) play the two East End gangsters. Lambert being the more nervy of the brothers shows that you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him. Matt looks to be the brains of the pair. I especially like, and not having seen this play before, the growling emitting from Lambert when you sense that his anger is on the verge of showing. You could imagine these two as modern day gangsters.

Their "wives" Lily Bailes (Julie) and Jessica Staplehurst (Prue) make you wonder how either of these two brothers snared either of these two sisters. Julie and Prue get to sexually harass the waiter, played by Jack Linley, over seen by the two husbands, but when the show is on the other foot, as we discover Lambert has history with the other female diner, Suki, there are some glaring "if looks could kill" looks.

Rachel Coussins (Suki) and Rohan Rakhit (Russell) play the other diners, and again, you wonder how these two characters ever got together as the suited and booted Russell's accent is quite upper class, presented with some wonderful facial expressions by Rohan.

Rachel, also gets to treat us to some great facial expressions, but with a very different accent, and while her costume is made for a night out, well it reveals everything apart from the price!

All of these paired characters are opposites and I think that is what makes each pair such fun to watch.

But not all the comedy comes from these pairings because the comedy lines are also generously shared with the "staff". Sonia the maitresse d, is played by Eleanor Veal has some quirky stories to tell, as does Richard, whose Grandfather appears to have known just about everyone from literary and entertainment history. Richard is played brilliantly by Oliver Binns.

The play only lasts 50 minutes and it doesn't matter that we don't know what happens to the three couples after the leave the restaurant, but we never did get to hear the end of Richard's final interjection........

As long as you're not easily offended by some choice swear words or by talk about carnal activities behind filing cabinets or un-natural activities between a son and his mother (well it was good enough for Shakespeare), then you'll love this lampoon of social classes and behaviour. I for one loved it, and now I want more Pinter in my theatre and literary education.

“Celebration” is at the Nottingham New Theatre until Saturday 29 February.