Theatre Review: Withnail and I - A Double Perspective

The Birmingham Rep’s recent production of Withnail & I, based upon writer and director Bruce Robinson’s 1987 magnum opus of the same name, premiered to a packed audience of eager fans of the cult classic. Robinson penned the play, evidently as a passion project to bring the source material to audiences of today through the medium of theatre. The play, however, did not feel adapted to 2024’s societal norms alongside its medium transition. An almost word-for-word depiction of the ’80s feature, Withnail and I (directed by Sean Foley) felt slightly stagnant amongst successful movie-to-stage adaptations of recent years.

Withnail and I follows two out of work, 20-something actors, Marwood (Adonis Siddique) and the eponymous Withnail (Robert Sheehan) in 1969 as they decide to escape their grotesque Camden flat in favour of a weekend in the countryside. However, in the blur of alcohol, fuzz of amphetamine, and haze of cigarette smoke, Withnail and Marwood fail to notice that Uncle Monty (Malcolm Sinclair) has his own motives for lending them their cottage. 1980s hilarity ensues with their inability to cook a chicken, fear of being poached by ‘the poacher,’ and a contraption full of baby-urine – all driven home by the iconic Jaguar MK2.

It is clear through this host of caricatures that Foley and Robinson were not attempting to do anything ‘new’ with this one

The motley crew of characters that traipse the stage throughout Withnail and I predominantly take the shape of dead-on impressions of the source material. Sure, Siddique’s Marwood might be a little meeker, and Sheehan’s Withnail might be a little squealier, but it is clear through this host of caricatures that Foley and Robinson were not attempting to do anything ‘new’ with this one. Granted, this is not necessarily a fault of the play. It seemed from the whooping and jeering that many audience members rejoiced in the play’s near-exact likeness to the original Withnail and I. However, no one can do Richard E. Grant like Richard E. Grant, and unfortunately for Foley and Robinson (somewhat), it seems that no one can do Withnail and I like Withnail and I (1987).

One of the play’s strongest assets is the set-dressing and staging. Combining meticulously timed videos alongside removable backdrops and props, Withnail and I uses the Rep’s relatively small stage size to its advantage, boxing Marwood and Withnail into their dismal adventure and building an effective sense of environmental immersion in each and every scene. The lighting, like all practical parts of the production, outshines some of the less well adapted elements of the show. With the lighting, they truly begin to utilise the change in medium and provide the production with a visual identity that is at least a little different from the film. The hallucinogenic quality of the projection is a welcome addition, providing uninitiated audience members a suggestion of the visuality of ‘uppers’ and ‘downers.’ Alongside this, the refracted moonlight that shines through the glass window panes and projected technicolour onto the walls of the cottage is a nuanced, striking addition to the production’s imagery, especially when juxtaposed against the clinical nature of Marwood and Withnail’s grotty London flat.

The lighting, like all practical parts of the production, outshines some of the less well adapted elements of the show

Withnail and I frames its scene transitions through a range of brief musical interludes, including renditions of tunes such as Norman Greenbaum’s ‘Spirit in the Sky’ and The Beatles’ ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps.’ The songs are fairly pleasant and impressively played by members of the show’s ensemble. Unfortunately, Sooz Kempner’s vocals are not best-suited to many of the songs, with her pub singer-esque tone lending somewhat to the beer-soaked carpet atmosphere of Withnail and I. It is not the most palatable; however, these musical interludes are a fine enough accompaniment to the show’s speedy changeovers – speedy enough that the band’s lack of optional vamping leaves Sheehan with half a costume during Act One.

There was the opportunity for this production to bring a fresh perspective that invites a new audience into the world of Withnail and I. It is a little remarkable that no revisions are made, with a substantial amount of comedy deriving from the presented absurdity of homosexuality, alcohol abuse, and supposed hilarity of attempted sexual assault. It’s a shame that the car is a Jaguar MK2, not a DeLorean, because the production felt, at times, aggressively stationary in the worst aspects of 1987.

This production feels like stepping into the ignorant reminiscences of a posh dad’s problematic university escapades

Withnail and I’s production is astounding. The set-design, lighting, orchestration, staging, and projection create an immersive world that the dedicated fan base will (like a contraption full of baby-urine) gush over. The cast performances are strikingly similar to their dynamic, on-screen doppelgangers. However, to a less dedicated fan base, this production feels like stepping into the ignorant reminiscences of a posh dad’s problematic university escapades. The audience of 1987 would have adored this theatrical adaptation; however, if presented with the invitation to view it again, the help of the finest wines available to humanity would be necessary.