The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

The Knowledge at Charing Cross Theatre

The Knowledge at Charing Cross Theatre | Theatre review
14 September 2017
Euan Franklin
Avatar
Euan Franklin
14 September 2017

Only an exceptional writer can take training cab drivers as a premise and turn it into something interesting. Jack Rosenthal wrote the screenplay for the 1979 TV movie The Knowledge, which was a comic insight into a taxi driver’s journey into earning their Green Badge. Is the stage adaptation by Simon Block, directed by Maureen Lipman, as successful?

The Knowledge follows a group of would-be cabbiess, who have to pass a rigorous examination process known as the Knowledge in order to drive a black cab. This involves learning the details of every street in London; but with thousands of streets to learn by heart, this proves to be a near-impossible task.

The set in Charing Cross Theatre, designed by Nicolai Hart-Hansen, is colourful and evokes a sort of 70s modern art environment. But although it’s lovely to look at, it doesn’t suit the tone of the play. It removes the flavour of a working-class setting, appearing more like an opulent musical than a kitchen-sink comedy.

Before the interval, many of the jokes fall flat – largely because of their predictability, but also due to Lipman’s lack of comedic direction. The actors are rushed, spitting out their lines as quickly as possible. In the second half, however, the jokes are funnier and the actors seem better adjusted to their comic environment. But what’s most surprising is Lipman’s talent in directing drama, executing tense scenes with quiet devastation.  

Steven Pacey gives the standout performance as the Pythonesque Mr Burgess, and is the comedy highlight of the evening. His bizarre vocals and hilarious movements create a surreal and vibrant presence on stage. The female characters are more watchable than the male protagonists, which is a testament to Block’s desire to modernise the script with better roles for women. Louise Callaghan, who has the smallest female part, takes the most memorable scenes. She plays the only woman taking the Knowledge test, and Block expands her character into a feminist hero – addressing the issues female cab drivers face on a daily basis. Callaghan delivers a funny and charismatic performance, creating a character we root the most for.

Block and Lipman have made an entertaining little show and a fascinating exploration into the intelligence of London taxi drivers, which is becoming a dying state-of-mind in the digital days of Uber. But for a play claiming to be a comedy, it’s regrettably light on laughs.

★★★★★

Euan Franklin
Photo: Scott Rylander

The Knowledge is at Charing Cross Theatre from 4th September until 11th November 2017. For further information or to book visit here.

Related Itemsreview

More in Theatre

Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Evelyn at Southwark Playhouse

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at Theatre Royal Stratford East

★★★★★
Natallia Pearmain
Read More

King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

This Is Not Who I Am/Rapture at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

“Flamenco is a race where there is no end – you never stop learning”: An interview with Manuel Liñán on ¡Viva! at the Sadler’s Wells Flamenco Festival 2022

Jessica Wall
Read More

Jitney at the Old Vic

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More

“The fact a play as relevant as Jitney is not known outside of the US is criminal”: An interview with Sule Rimi on starring in August Wilson’s Jitney at the Old Vic

Jonathan Marshall
Read More

The Car Man at the Royal Albert Hall

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Euan Franklin

The Knowledge

★★★★★

Dates

4th September - 11th November 2017

Price

£17.50-£42.50

Links & directions

TwitterFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

The Blinding Light at Jermyn Street Theatre | Theatre review
Boudica at Shakespeare’s Globe | Theatre review