Review: Our Man in Havana (Theatre Royal Windsor / UK Tour)

Review by Ruth Sealey

⭐️⭐️

With temperatures high enough to conjure images of balmy evenings and cocktails in Havana, The Theatre Royal Windsor felt much like a warm night in Cuba, adding an unintentional immersive aspect to the press night for Our Man In Havana. Set amidst the deception and intrigue of 1950s Cuba, the play explores fabricated intelligence and misinformation that do not feel too far removed from today’s political landscape, both at home and abroad. But would this production prove to be one to report back on favourably?

Set in Cuba during the Cold War and the regime of Fulgencio Batista, the novel Our Man In Havana was written by Graham Greene in 1958. Greene himself spent time in Cuba and served as an intelligence officer for MI6 during the Second World War, and his book draws on those experiences and the people he met to create a world of espionage. The result is a satire that pokes fun at the ineptitude and sometimes misplaced confidence of spy agencies. The novel was subsequently turned into a film in 1959, earning Alec Guinness a Golden Globe nomination, as well as later being performed as an opera, a musical and also having been adapted into this play by Clive Francis.

Our Man In Havana follows the hapless vacuum cleaner salesman James Wormold, who is enticed into the world of espionage with the promise of earning enough money to support himself and the extravagant lifestyle of his daughter Milly. Wormold is anything but a spy and possesses none of the training or skills required to take on such a role. What he does have, however, is the ability to fabricate a network of non-existent agents and intelligence, leading to confusion, misunderstanding, humour and emotion as his deception begins to unravel.

With its numerous characters and settings, Our Man In Havana has so much potential to develop the humour and take the audience on a fast-paced, thrilling ride. Sadly, the potential is never quite realised. Philip Wilson’s direction feels anything but thrilling and, at times, proceeds in a decidedly sedentary manner. A game of chequers, involving the theft of a gun, for example, unfolds at a snail’s pace when it should be building tension and energy. Rather than leaving the audience on the edge of their seats, the momentum drains away, and I found myself looking at my watch in what should have been a gripping moment. 

The same issue occurs throughout. When Wormold discovers he is on a hit list, there is little sense of urgency, making it difficult to believe he truly cares about the potential impending death. Likewise, when an alarm sounds on stage, the muted reaction left me wondering if it was part of the production or elsewhere in the theatre. With a cast as capable as this, so much more should have been achieved with the dynamic on stage.

The cast consists of four actors playing numerous roles, requiring multiple quick changes. This is one area where the pace does pick up, with characters entering and exiting through various doors with impressive speed, sometimes appearing almost instantaneously elsewhere on stage. However, the production saddles them with an array of sometimes bizarre and inconsistent accents that are often difficult to distinguish and, at times, understand.  

Jack Ashton has the task of carrying the play as James Wormold, but the central performance never quite provides the momentum the show needs. Wormold feels overly restrained, with little variation in tone as the deception begins to unravel. There are moments in the second act where Ashton seems more at ease, and his developing relationship with Beatrice offers glimpses of what could be achieved with this character. Bob Barrett gives a strong performance as Voice 2 and Dr Hasselbacher, and Leon Ockenden as Voice 3 creates a menacing Captain Segura, but while both play multiple characters, some of them feel underdeveloped, relying too heavily on cliché and caricature to make a lasting impression.   

Jodie Steele provides some much-needed strength and presence across her roles and is absolutely the highlight of this cast. As Beatrice, she brings warmth, intelligence and the spark that is missing elsewhere in the production, with her relationship with Wormold providing some of its most engaging moments. The decision to portray Milly Wormold, who is referred to repeatedly as being eighteen years old, with the characteristics of a much younger child is one that never quite lands and is frustrating to watch. However, this feels more like a directorial choice than a reflection of Steele’s performance. 

The set and costume design by Julie Godfrey is stunning. The set creates a real feeling of Cuba, with balconies and shuttered windows that perfectly capture the aesthetic. Additional props and set are moved on and off stage seamlessly, making the scene changes amongst the smoothest part of the production.  An office, bar, beachside villa, car, home, MI6 headquarters and a nightclub are among the multitude of locations that are convincingly brought to life. 

Lighting by Nick Richings effortlessly transforms both the setting and atmosphere, whether shining through closed shutters or shifting from the muted light of an office to the harsh glare of the Cuban sunshine. Sound from Andy Graham is amongst some of the most perfectly timed I have seen, the click of a slide projector in perfect unison with the press of a button and gorgeous Latina music creating a feel of Cuba. At times, the meticulous attention to detail in the design and lighting threatens to outshine the performances on stage.

Overall, this production feels dated and cliched with directorial choices that result in an incredibly slow pace and some confusing character decisions. A story built on themes of deception and spies should create tension and immerse the audience in the thrill of the Cuban capital, but here that potential is never realised. While the design elements shine and some performances do their best to lift the evening, ultimately this mission fails to deliver.

Our Man In Havana tours the UK until 5^th September. Dates and tickets at https://www.kenwright.com/productions/our-man-in-havana-theatre-royal-windsor-season-on-tour/

Photos by Jack Merriman