REVIEW: LYNN FACES @ THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

🎭 Lynn Faces

📍 The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Royal Parade, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2TR

🗓 Thursday 13th February 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WICKEDLY FUNNY, PAINFULLY ASTUTE

We are spending the evening watching an under rehearsed, possibly even zero rehearsed, punk band, LYNN FACES. Musically challenged and comprising only three quarters of its members (the drummer has not turned up) Blatantly nervous, they burst onto the stage to perform a belligerent number entitled “Snazzy Cardigans, part one” This performance is somewhat hampered by the lyrics being muffled behind masks portraying Lynn-from-Alan-Partridge, the eponymous LYNN FACES. This could only be the latest play written by Laura Horton, fresh as a daisy, wickedly funny and painfully astute. 

The band introduce themselves as Leah, singer and guitar, soon to turn forty and her friends, feisty Ali, keyboard and the exuberant Shonagh who plays, well, a bit of everything. There should also be Joy who answered an ad for a drummer but has still not arrived. LYNN FACES is Leah’s “revenge band” after a toxic breakup with partner Pete and she is Claiming Back Her Power! 

Lynn Benfield was Alan Partridge’s much insulted Personal Assistant. She endured his behaviour without commenting but being an amiable person, chose to register her disapproval by pulling a face instead.  Leah identifies with this quiet act of rebellion and names her nascent punk band after it. 

As the Lynn masks come off, being too impractical, the real characters of the band members become evident and we discover Leah’s power is actually quite wobbly and anguish seeps through the cracks in her bravado. Madeline MacMahon as Leah is perfect, her expressive face alternately displaying extreme fragility and defiance. No nonsense bestie, Ali, Peyvand Sadeghian, has had enough of beating about the bush. The ditsy, extrovert Shonagh, Millie Faraway, tries hard to keep everyone happy, including the audience. Laura Horton’s brief cameo as the elusive Joy is pivotal, maybe not for drumming but her truth.  

Co-commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, Norwich Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth, Laura Horton’s LYNN FACES is a very clever play. Beneath the brash, very sweary, extremely watchable exterior is a painful story of abuse and deep hurt. I doubt there are many audience members who did not review their life’s relationships a little during or after the show. A quick mental check just to be sure… It is a witty, sometimes surreal, ode to the power of friendship, the possibility of recovery and has moments of utter daftness that have us all laughing and joining in. Altogether a great gig. I am off to find my snazzy cardigan. 

Rosie Sharman-Ward 

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

CAST LIST:

Madeline MacMahon as Leah; Peyvand Sadeghian as Ali; Millie Faraway as Shonagh; Laura Horton as Joy

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hours 15 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes of abusive relationships and coercive control

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

16 +