UK Theatre Network

It's "just another day at the office", or so the flyer says, and so I am, of course, delayed by the fabulous London Underground. But, through a mixture of semi-desperation and pure adrenalin, I make it to the Old Red Lion with minutes to spare, and bless the fact that the next hour or so will not be too exciting or thought-provoking or even interesting. I should have ample time to get my breath back and relax. It is, after all, "just another day at the office...phone calls to be returned, deals to be finalised...clients to be taken out to lunch". Or so the flyer says. I really should have thought this through more clearly. No one is going to write a play that is actually like this, unless of course it is designed to aid restless audience members to catch up on forty winks. Which it isn't.

The story, based on an original meeting, is straightforward - a day in the life of a literary agent (Hamish Clark) who has just one quick meeting to get through with an author (Stephen Kennedy) whose latest book, the agent thinks, is not quite up to scratch. But right from the start there are problems, for the agent that is. The author has decided to blackmail him into selling his book using some personal photographs of the agent as collateral - and that's just for starters. Grippingly dark and achingly funny, at times 'The Agent' reminds me very much of the hit comedy 'The Office', but not quite so straightforward. Martin Wagner, the actual author, has brought together an almost perfect, if not seamless, representation of the subtle power-shifts that can occur between an artist and their agent, and shows us what can happen - there can only be one winner.

In this case, however, I felt that there really were no losers. The audience were entranced by some powerhouse performances, and even the occasional London interruption (sirens and so on), did not hinder the many laughs that accompanied the bubbly atmosphere. Hamish Clark was fantastic as the slightly jaded agent who just wants an easy life, finding humour in the darkest of places and the perfect foil for Stephen Kennedy’s neurotically desperate author who just wants to be published. The two of them, while at times completely opposed, seem totally at home together, and right at home in their adopted personas too. Although, for their sake, I hope that they are not actually quite so like this in their own lives! The Old Red Lion is a great venue, and easy to find, so there’s no excuse for not seeing this great new play.

‘The Agent’ runs at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington, at 7.30 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and at6 pm on Sundays – until March 24^th. Tickets are £12 (£10 Concessions)

For more information, or to book tickets, call the Box Office on 0207-837-7816 or visit www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk