Review: The Truth (Apollo Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In an increasingly dishonest world, the truth seems harder to come across. Be it the latest lies coming from a politician's mouth or wild accusations flying around in what could be the most innocent and unlikely of situations, searching for the truth isn’t as easy as it used to be. Until now, that is, as a trip to Shaftesbury Avenue will bring you face to face with it, as The Truth hits the Apollo Theatre for a revival of Florian Zeller’s comedy. While it was well-received last time it played a run in London, where would its fate lie this time around?

Set in Paris, The Truth focuses on two couples and the many tangles that are found between them. Centring around Michele, he has been married to Laurence for 20 years, but unbeknownst to her, has also been having an affair with Alice. If that isn’t bad enough, Alice is married to his best friend, Paul. With it becoming harder to cover his tracks, Michele finds himself slipping up. Meanwhile, Alice wants to confess all, much to Michele’s disdain. But do any of the parties involved know more than they are letting on, and who is really telling the truth?

Running at 90 minutes with no interval, The Truth is a relentless romp through multiple scenes, each with its own chapter heading, such as “The Lie” and, you guessed it, “The Truth”. Florian Zeller’s original writing expertly weaves the complicated relationships between all four parties with a wicked and mischievous flair, brilliantly translated by Christopher Hampton to ensure nothing is lost on an English-speaking audience while still keeping the story decidedly French. Planting the seeds early on, Zeller and Hampton effortlessly allow everything to bubble to the surface, and the repercussions to speak for themselves. I wouldn’t necessarily call The Truth a slow burn, but it does drastically pick up the pace as it roars towards its climax.

There is a sense that a clock is ticking down, and Michele is getting ever closer to everything crashing down around him. This tension is beautifully displayed through Lindsay Posner’s direction, heightening the atmosphere and, in turn, ramping up the comedic elements. The use of comedy throughout is interesting as it rarely sticks to one type. At times, it veers towards more of a darkly comedic side, while others focus on the silliness, almost descending into a farce at one point. Posner, Hampton and Zeller together make a winning combination, finding the best way to tell the story and receive the right response - namely, an appropriate level of laughter. It was also satisfying as an audience member to see the audience break out into spontaneous applause after several particularly strong zingers and comebacks.

The Truth is a complicated beast, and as the play continues, it becomes apparent that not everything is initially as it appears. Now, I don’t want to spoil this for anyone, as everybody has the right to experience the revelations for themselves, but you find yourself always second-guessing who is telling the truth and who might still be keeping their cards close to their chest. This ambiguity continues right until the closing moments, which are certainly left open to interpretation, with my friend and me both having differing opinions on what it meant. Theatre should encourage conversation, and The Truth certainly does it. There is nothing worse than leaving a show and feeling so uninspired that you have absolutely nothing to say about it. Thankfully, The Truth doesn’t suffer from that problem, allowing plenty to discuss on the journey back.

The setup for The Truth focuses on one pairing at a time, be it Michele and his wife, Laurence, Michele and his mistress, Alice, or Michele and his best friend, Paul. With Michele the one recurring factor in every combination, it becomes more about his relationships with each rather than the four as a whole, with no scene between Paul and Alice, as much as I would personally have loved to have seen that. Essentially, the audience watches the show through Michele’s eyes as everything unravels and is revealed around him, with his insistence on playing the victim and failing to see his own hypocrisy a running joke in the play. I wondered if everything was going to build to an explosive climax featuring the four performers together, but that never came. While it makes for a more intimate production with the stage never having more than two at a time, it did feel slightly disappointing if only for what a stellar cast has been assembled here.

Speaking of, Janie Dee may have a number of musical theatre credits under her belt, but she proves she is every bit as captivating in a play, giving a fine performance as Laurence. Though her stage time feels much less than her counterparts, she more than makes her presence felt, particularly in the closing scene, played to perfection and admirably displaying contrasting feelings and expressions in a truly wonderful and well-thought-out portrayal. Sarah Hadland opts for larger choices for a more exaggerated performance as Alice, finding the funny in her every move and essentially holding more power than the opening of the play initially lets on. It may be a while before Ardal O’Hanlon makes his first appearance, but what follows is a fantastic demonstration of his talents in what some may consider a relatively understated affair, but one that demands the art of subtlety. His smaller reactions compared to Michele’s larger ones make for an amazing “odd couple” dynamic, with O’Hanlon’s naturally funny bones ensuring his performance is consistently captivating to watch.

However, Michele is the star of the show, and so it is only fitting that Stephen Mangan is too. In an exhausting performance that sees Mangan on stage as part of every pairing, he is fantastic as his character becomes increasingly erratic and dishevelled. I have seen Mangan in several plays over the last couple of years, and while there is a certain level you can reliably expect from an actor of his ability, this is by far the best I have seen him on stage. Mangan makes some bold choices in his exploration of Michele, but every one of them feels right. Though many choices are exaggerated and are played out for laughs, Mangan is magnificent as he keeps a straight face amongst the increasing absurdity. Michele may not be the easiest of characters to love with his inability to grasp reality, but Mangan certainly is in an absolute knockout performance.

A special mention must also go to the set design by Lizzie Clachan, also responsible for the fabulous costume design. The details in the set continuously wow, be it Michele’s home, a hotel room, or the other settings we see throughout. Each one feels distinct while somehow delivering a uniform effect, so each complements the others. These transitions also impress with their effortless quality, making each new setting a joy to discover. The beautiful design seen here is elevated further through a gorgeous use of lighting from Richard Howell.

What starts as a seemingly innocent and, dare I say, by-the-numbers play soon reveals itself to be as deceptive as the characters in The Truth, resulting in a rollercoaster that will have you laughing and putting your head in your hands through second-hand embarrassment in equal measure. Fantastic writing and direction make this an enjoyable watch in any production, but it is the gathering of this exceptional cast of four that takes The Truth to the next level, particularly that of Stephen Mangan’s wildly over-the-top and scene-stealing turn as Michele, literally stealing every scene he is in, which is all of them. A trip to the Apollo Theatre this summer may just be the perfect tonic to escape from the dishonesty that lurks outside. This production is easily a hit, and that’s the truth!

The Truth plays at the Apollo Theatre until 12th September. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/the-truth-tickets

Photos by Johan Persson