Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

The Friel-bad factor

Plus: a slick, handsome Tartuffe at the Theatre Royal Haymarket – but why not set Molière in Molière's age?

issue 16 June 2018

  • Translations

    Olivier Theatre, in rep until 11 August

  • Tartuffe

    Theatre Royal Haymarket, until 28 August

The National has made its largest stage available to one of the nation’s smallest talents. If Brian Friel had been born in Dorset rather than in Co. Tyrone he’d have enjoyed an unremarkable career writing episodes of The Archers with the odd stint on Emmer-dale. He’s a champion witterer whose plays lack suspense, pace, depth or spectacle.

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