Review: Happy Ending (Waterloo East Theatre)

Review by Oliver Briggs

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are few plays as surprising, intimate and disarming yet comedic as Happy Ending, now playing at Waterloo East Theatre. A thoroughly modern play with the first notable production in 2017 in Florida, as well as performances in London in 2018, and at the Garden Theatre summer Festival in 2021. I had high expectations having familiarised myself with the show's history, and not only were these expectations met, they were actually exceeded.

Written and directed by Ronnie Larsen, Happy Ending is an 80 minute comedy centered around a single massage session between Andrew, a meticulous and openly gay massage therapist, and his new client, Mr Miller, a brash, conservative-leaning man who proudly identifies as a MAGA-supporting, Trump-voting straight guy. At first glance, their interaction appears rife with tension, as their contrasting personalities clash; Andrew's tidy professionalism versus Mr Miller's rough and careless demeanor. Their exchanges are laced with comedic misunderstandings and subtle jabs, particularly around Mr Miller’s paranoia about Andrew’s sexuality affecting the session and his casual disregard for Andrew’s space, but was this who Mr Miller really played himself to be? There is still far more of the story.

Almost entirely designed by the Waterloo East Theatre, the set is beautiful - pristine, clean and well-kept, made to resemble the studio of a massage therapist, with thin paper curtains that let gentle, warm light through, and exposed wooden beams at the back creating a warm and welcome environment. The walls were angled which was particularly effective focusing the audience's sight. To important actions. Props like plants, oils, water bottles filled the space and reinforced the believability that I was in a massage therapy studio.

Equally strong is Jonathan Simpson's lighting design, creating a bright and calm space with warmer tones in areas creating an intimate and heated environment that beautifully complemented the set design.

The individual character performances in Happy Ending were astonishing. Jimmy Essex brought to his character, Andrew, a subtle yet very present flamboyance to the stage, through all of his smaller movements, the way he held his arms, each and every little facial gesture, lip lick, jaw-dropped moment was met with fluttered demeanour. His attraction to Mr Miller seeps through the way his eyes lock with Mr Miller's entire body.

Billy Walker carried a massively masculine gait about him originally, very tall, very stiff. A slightly deeper voice with more tension throughout his body, and he has a great character development as his performance becomes somewhat looser and free over time with how his characters' secrets are revealed. Both performers displayed intense chemistry and heated intimacy, with immense and subtle facial expressions.

Overall the production excels with its remarkable set and costume design, alongside the crazy chemistry of the actors and their detailed and nuanced choices under Larsen’s witty  writing and direction. With stellar comedic performances, a sensitively designed set, and unexpected emotional weight, Happy Ending guarantees to give you what the title suggests.

Happy Ending plays at Waterloo East Theatre until October 26th. Tickets from https://www.waterlooeast.co.uk/happy-ending 

Photos by Gareth McLeod