8 April 1999

The Independent

What Is It?

Mick Mahoney’s new play at the Royal Court, directed by Edward Hall, about four old friends who meet up unexpectedly after 18 years in the soon-to-be-demolished Sacred Heart church hall, scene of their youth. Naturally, the words skeletons and closet spring to mind.

Who’s In It?

Michael French (aka former Albert Square romeo David Wicks), who proves there’s life beyond Walford as wideboy property developer, Jerry. Ewan Stewart, Doon Mackichan and Cecilia Noble provide able support as the friends he left behind in a bid to make his fortune.

What They Say About It

“Mahoney has a flair for the kind of short, sharp exchanges you’d hear at the Queen Vic.” Dominic Cavendish, Time Out. “Writer Mick Mahoney, famed in previous plays for his use of cockney rhyming slang, has abandoned one idiom without truly finding another to replace it.” Fiona Mountford, Daily Telegraph. “Almost every potential cliche in the play has a twist that redeems it, and Edward Hall’s production elicits beautifully shaded performances, particularly from Mr French… Quirky touches ensure that Sacred Heart is no standard trudge down the obstacle course of memory lane”