Review: The Good Landlord, Omnibus Theatre

The Omnibus Theatre in Clapham is never one to shy away from topical, challenging theatre. Their current production is a new play from writing and producing duo Ethan and Kalman Dean-Richards, with its subject being the injustices and indeed the scandal of the rental market. These disclose some of the appalling experiences of renters and, it has to be said, of our writers.,,

It is highly topical that this government has finally fulfilled one of its manifesto pledges to introduce a New Renters’ Rights Bill, which is long overdue, especially in getting rid of the iniquitous no-fault evictions. So The Good Landlord is bang on topic, and although in some ways slightly overtaken by events, this should be a hard-hitting piece. Alas, I have to say this is not the case here. The writers have decided to pitch their story within an absurdist, cartoonish framework, which might have worked if the structure and writing were of higher quality. The paradox about successful, wacky plotting is that you actually need a logical reality that the characters live and breathe; and that, indeed, goes for the audience as well. The actors here are committed to the task – I cannot fault them for that – but what they are committing too is just so flimsy and so lacking in dramatic integrity that this audience member at least couldn’t care less about anybody or anything throughout the 80 minutes of the piece.

Jack (Jason Adam) has just been given fourteen days’ notice by his rent collector Marianne (Julia Winwood) by which time he has to find his rent arrears otherwise he is out, along with his mate Sean (Blayne Kelly). Kelly is asked to play a rather slow-witted Irishman, which I found slightly offensive – surely we’ve moved on from those seventies’ stereotypes?? They plump on deciding to sublet a cupboard to bring in some cash, and here is a case in point: if it was a proper cupboard then it might be plausible, however remotely. But here in this set it is just a compartment in a cupboard and unconvincing. You need to have some possibility of truth in order for it to register.

Anyway, Sony (Caroline Gray) applies for it and appears to be set on taking it on, in her infantile way. However, all is not what it seems, because she is on a secret mission of revenge, as her flatmate has been killed by the explosion of a badly-maintained boiler in a previously rented flat, run by the same letting agent, Marianne. The denouement is not only bizarre but highly inconsistent in its writing and direction. There are slow longueurs and indeed some indulgent acting going on, but there is no glue to any dramatic drive. It fritters along with random wacky moments and the characters all wallow around in a vacuum, so that the intended humour lands only very sporadically; most of the time it was met with deafening silence This is all a shame because we could have been left with a strong feeling of injustice at the shocking state of rented accommodation and the liberties rogue landlords get away with.

One crumb of comfort, however, is of being made aware of an amazing organisation, namely ACORN, that provides support both legally and administratively in the face of landlord abuse, and who act as a wonderful political agit prop voice. You can visit their site at www.acorntheunion.org.uk

Presented by Pound Road Productions
Written by Ethan & Kalman Dean-Richards
Directed by Yusuf Niazi
Sound by Zor Khare
Composed by Daniel James Brian

The Good Landlord plays at the Omnibus Theatre until Saturday 22 November.