IN THE LOOP

Comedy

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Tom Hollander: Simon Foster, British Minister of International Development
Peter Capaldi: his boss Malcolm Tucker, British Director of Communications
Chris Addison: Foster’s assistant Toby Wright
Mimi Kennedy: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Karen Clark
Anna Chlumsky: her aide Liza
and others no doubt

REVIEW
Promoted as a satirical look at the power struggle among nations, the one essential requirement of satire is that the audience be familiar enough with the real thing to see the irony of it. Unfortunately I am not that well acquainted with the British top echelon to appreciate the sarcasm, the insults, the nasty comments and crass behaviour. In other words “I’m not in the loop”.

As a consequence it comes across as a stilted refection of reality instead of being funny. Not making it any easier is having to listen to the foul-mouthed Tucker and his pervasive use of the f-word and other expletives.

I left after half an hour.

CLASSIFICATION
for language.

P.S.
When I entered the theatre it was completely empty and except for me, stayed that way: never a good sign.