Tim Luscombe
The Rat Trap
Location: Finborough Theatre, London
Date: 2006
Written when Coward was only 19, The Rat Trap is a moving – and startlingly resonant – exploration of the timeless struggles of marriage. It doesn’t quite have the comedic and stylistic highs of plays written after Coward visited New York in the early 20s, but it was a fascinating piece to unpick and stage, especially as it contains clues about how later works such as Design for Living and Private Lives would take shape. The production was much enhanced by the acting talents as Gregory Finnegan as the husband and Federay Holmes who I remember doing wonders with ice cream.
Played in the round on the tightest of spaces, Luscombe and his cast vividly re-create an unjustly forgotten drama… Tim Luscombe’s revival makes for a most rewarding evening.
Jeremy Kingston, The Times
Four Stars, Time Out
Time Out Critics' Choice
For sheer energy, engrossing performances and entertainment value the production knocks spots off almost every other straight play in London at the moment
John Thaxter