Theatre double bill

On Saturday, we attended a double bill at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester - Sheridan's The Critic, and The Real Inspector Hound.

As The Critic was listed first, I got very confused when they actually started with The Real Inspector Hound, particularly considering I knew nothing about either play and both involved theatre critics.  I was (rather stupidly) unsure for quite some time which play I was watching, as it occurred to me that they might have translated Sheridan to the present day in order to match the productions more closely.  This meant I perhaps did not appreciate The Real Inspector Hound as much as I might have done - however, it was extremely well done, very bizarre, and often very funny.

The Critic got off to a slightly rocky start, with the actors makng a few mistakes and generally not seeming quite focused in the first scene.  However, once they got to the theatre and the play rehearsal got underway, the production soared to an entirely new level, eclipsing Hound completely and ending with an incredible finale of choas and spectacle.  It certainly topped The A Team as the most ridiculous thing I've seen so far this year, but not in the least in a bad way.

Overall, the cast did an excellent job with both plays, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole afternoon.