Richard Roques has written seven plays over his career but this three-hander is the one that surely gets closest to his other job – that of guiding the public around London on more than 40 different walks.
In the History Of London Until It Got Burnt Down, written and directed by Roques, that knack for making London’s history accessible and palatable is in full force in a piece that spans the Roman occupation until 1666.
A Latin lesson to signify the arrival of the Romans in 55BC kicks off proceedings; later Charles I’s downfall is likened to an evictee getting thrown out of the Big Brother house. And in a skit where a estate agent tries to sell hoodwinked country folk some property in plague-ridden London, Roques proves he is capable of writing insightfully witty pieces – in the adept comic hands of Charles Grant (pictured), they’re even easier to relish. As director, Roques wisely opts for simplicity too, leading us through Roman generals, kings and s***-shovellers merely by use of a lot of plastic headgear.
Yet, Roques’s walks share another quality with this production – the desire to be all things to all people. So while you get the King Cnut gags for adults, other elements descend into panto. By being an amiable jack of all trades but master of none, it doesn’t leave a lasting impression.
Until Apr 19, Mon to Sat 7.30pm, various mats 3.30pm, £10 to £16.
The History Of London Until It Got Burnt Down
Jermyn Street Theatre
Jermyn Street, SW1Y 6ST
