CABINET MINISTER at the Menier Chocolate Factory

Arthur Wing Pinero’s farce THE CABINET MINISTER is given new life in Paul Foster’s brand new adaptation of Nancy Carroll at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Sir Julian Twombley is in trouble: his wife and son are in huge debt, and his political reputation hangs in the balance. The House of Commons is not a safe place for him and the newspapers smell of blood. Will he be able to save face and maintain his sanity?

Nancy Carroll will be joined by George Blagden, Joe Edgar, Phoebe Fildes, Rosalind Ford, Dom Hodson, Dillie Keane, Nicholas Rowe, Laurence Ubong Williams, Romaya Weaver and Matthew Woodyatt. This crack is about a brilliant story of marriage, blackmail and activities where everything is off the table! See what critics say…

Cindy, BroadwayWorld: This is a production that is joyfully proud of its genre identity and the limitations that come with it. It’s such a perfect final product that we happily indulge in its theatrical contract: the silliest, most unbelievable plot twist and all the visual contradictions it contains are delivered with such exquisite sarcasm and hilarity that we don’t mind the world in which it is possible to enter an empty room and not notice two people who are just sitting still so as not to be seen. It’s ridiculous, but Foster makes it work.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian: If the idea of ​​watching a Victorian farce from a lesser-performed playwright seems quaintly old-fashioned, this production is a surprising reminder of how delicious it can be to send our own world back in time. In the right hands, of course. From Nancy Carroll, better known as an actress, comes an adaptation of Arthur Wing Pinero’s 1890 comedy that’s as brilliant as they come – bouncy, silly and full of satirical wit.

Time Out, Time Out: The satire here is, thankfully, broad. Get rid of social hypocrisy, Pinero says, and usurers and extortionists are basically politicians without a parliament. The modern coda in this version does not add anything wiser. But you don’t turn to farce for nuanced or insightful commentary. What keeps this from being truly great, as funny as some of its lines and scenes are, is the lack of that unique and constant escalation found in the best films of this genre. Despite Carroll’s changes, there is too much going on, too many trivial subplots, by all accounts. This doesn’t lead to the perfect climax of comedy disaster.

Marianka Swain, London Theater: I admit I didn’t know much about the plays of Arthur Wing Pinero, but after seeing this absolutely stunning production of his 1890 farce The Cabinet Minister, in a brilliant adaptation by actress and first-time playwright Nancy Carroll, I am now a die-hard fan . This is hands down one of the funniest shows in London theatre.

Lindsay Johns, The Telegraph: This delightfully quick, elegant and stylish new adaptation by Nancy Carroll (who also stars as Lady Katherine Twombley) is positively brimming with vitality, full of raunchy double entendres and unique contemporary political allusions. With charming sets and period costumes by Janet Bird, the four-act play, set between the Twombley Orangery in London and the Scottish castle to which the family has moved to facilitate their daughter’s marriage proposal from a wealthy nobleman, is directed with a winning combination of light, turbulent exuberance and occasional moral seriousness by Paul Foster.

Daz Gale, All That Dazzles: Nancy Carroll adapts Arthur Wing Pinero’s classic, starring in his other play The Magistrate in 2012. With a thorough understanding of his writing, Carroll effortlessly updates his work to slightly modernize it while maintaining its distinct context. This makes art seem immediately accessible and even more relevant (who would have thought that ministers making suspicious transactions would be so easily recognizable in 2024?). Although I must admit that it took me a while to get used to this story, once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down. Refreshingly silly, there are moments that descend into complete farce, while others are more subtle. While nothing made me howl with laughter, the consistent humor throughout always had me giggling gently or at least smiling broadly.