Plaza Suite at Savoy Theatre

There are some actors whose roles are so iconic, so embedded in the cultural consciousness, it becomes difficult to separate actor from character. Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City is one such example. And though it remains undisputed that SATC indeed was groundbreaking, busting taboos around depictions of sex, pleasure and the female experience, its legacy has been somewhat tainted by revisiting the show through a contemporary lens (was Carrie, in fact, a terrible friend? Where are all the non-white characters?), and attempts to combat that through And Just Like That, which has had a mixed reception. Whatever static noise might be buzzing around your perceptions of SJP, all that is suddenly silenced as she steps onto the stage at the Savoy Theatre, to the point you can hear a collective intake of breath and pin drop after the initial cheers showing genuine joy at the sight of her presence simmer down.

There’s nothing strikingly original about the setting of Plaza Suite, taking as it does room 719 in the faded grandeur of Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel at three different moments in time and the couple that are staying there, with Parker, opposite real-life partner Matthew Broderick, incarnating each set of characters – but the word-perfect dialogue and execution make it utterly engrossing. Its writer, the late Neil Simon, a household name on the other side of the pond but far less known and appreciated on British soil, has been credited as the godfather of the sitcom, and it’s not hard to see why: here, in this two-hour show penned in 1968, the essence of what makes a sitcom so great is truly held. 

The first of the triptych is by far the most compelling, following Karen and Sam, a long-married couple trying desperately to save their stagnant relationship – indeed, it’s almost a victim of its own success, as we are left wanting to spend more time with those characters we’ve become so intensely invested in. But there’s also hilarity and poignancy to be found, as Muriel is reunited with her “one-that-got-away” high school sweetheart, Jesse, for one vodka-fuelled afternoon, then finally Norma and Roy, parents of a bride who’s locked herself in the loo on her wedding day.

What’s striking is the appeal of such a play in our social media era. We’re so used to being fed short snippets of scenes and a barrage of stimulation that our brains somehow can no longer concentrate and focus when a scene extends to more than a few minutes. Yet, in this play, you become so absorbed that your mind doesn’t wander one inch, so transfixed are you by what might happen or be said next.

Furthermore, despite being set in the 60s, each of the increasingly farcical set-ups hold a universal truth: about marriage, about relationships, about the age-old yearning for something we don’t have, anxiety about ageing and lost opportunities, about keeping up with the Joneses, albeit told through some pretty old-fashioned gender stereotypes.

Aside from all of that though, if you had any doubt about SJP’s prowess as an actress, as a comedian and a performer, this West End debut is the absolute rebuffal: it’s simply pitch-perfect in comedic timing and, as the play progresses, also delights in the pair’s physical comedy, taking advantage of the cleverly designed set complete with old-school furnishings that at once scream class and claustrophobia. The fact they are a real-life couple seems to bleed into both the performance itself and also in the minds of the audience, creating a second layer to all we’re watching.

More than anything else, they seem to be having the time of their lives on stage, relishing in the role-playing and repartee. Perhaps doing a show together is the ultimate couple’s therapy? Though the result for most might not be as good as Plaza Suite. This is an astutely observed, wittily written and superbly executed piece of theatre.

Sarah Bradbury
Images: Marc Brenner

Plaza Suite is at Savoy Theatre from 17^th January until 13^th April 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.