Cul-de-Sac
What happens when you get 5 people all harbouring dark secrets in a living room with copious amounts of sherry, taramasalata and a game of Pictionary? Cul-de-Sac currently playing at The Omnibus Theatre attempts to answer that question, but I’m still not really sure on the answer we got.
This play is an exploration of middle class values and what happens behind the closed doors of the small community. Ruth and Frank are a couple in their 30/40’s whose marriage hangs in the balance. Ruth a self proclaimed ‘involuntarily retired therapist’ played by Shereen Roushbaiani with incredible authenticity, you feel for Ruth and the choices she has been forced to make in her life. Ellis J. Wells is the insufferably frustrated Frank, a man who holds into the past and although the character gets a lot of the jokes in the first half, the second half feels so intense for him, it's a difficult watch.
Lucy Farrett as quiet innocent church attendee Marie is fantastic, her secret is maybe the most shocking but I do feel the reveal of this came too early and could have been saved until later in the piece for the most impact. Callum Patrick Hughes as hapless neighbour Simon is outstanding, giving us pure comedy with a dash of heart, he’s a joy to watch. Behkam Salehani is a late entrant to the play but he possibly has the most impact and is wonderfully stoic and powerful.
I can see what is being attempted here, there is a very solid base of a story of human interactions. It is a comedy at it’s heart but some of the jokes fall flat, and it felt as though the audience were losing their enthusiasm for the play towards the end.
The big issue with the piece is length, at a run time of 3 hours it is far too long. It could easily lose an hour and be just as, if not more, impactful with its story. There is too much foreshadowing throughout which ultimately spoils the ending far too soon so the last hour feels redundant.
This show was reviewed at the Omnibus Theatre, London on the 29th May 2025 where it runs until the 14th June 2025. Tickets available here: CUL DE SAC – Omnibus Theatre
Review written by Rosie Browne
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Photo credit: Kat Foryth
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