WITH a glass of rather nice red wine (courtesy of a winning raffle ticket tonight) and plenty more in the bottle ahead of my attempts to transcribe my thoughts on tonight's opening performance of Steven Moffat's 'The Unfriend' at the Thameside Theatre, it would be easy to dash off a few perfunctory lines of praise about what was a thoroughly entertaining evening.

But that would be to understand what a remarkable organisation Thurrock Courts Players has become.

It truly is the sum of a myriad of wonderful parts. Actors, technical staff, backstage volunteers and a host of others who revel in the camaraderie of a tremendous theatre company.

They are very good at what they do. And they could reel off well known show after well known show. With well-known titles like Allo, Allo and Dad's Army in their past repertoire they could take life easy and put a lot more bums on seats. With just 72 of said bums parked in the Thameside tonight (Wednesday, 11 February) they might feel that would be a better course of action.

But I give the company a huge ovation for being brave, daring and above all embracing the challenge that live performance brings.

This is a company that doesn't rest on its laurels. 

The director of 'The Unfriend' is Victoria Grayling who was smitten by Mr Moffat's work when she saw it in the West End and leapt at the chance to bring it to a local audience.

I can see why.

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It's a curious mix of deadpan, dark humour mixed almost with farce but with an air of mystery. It's a cracking concoction of several genres and reflects Moffat's writing career when he has never been afraid to challenge the dark sides of legendary characters like Dr Who and Sherlock Holmes.

Victoria saw it as a natural fit for Courts - has not been embarrassed to say it also works because it was 'an easy set to build' and required few players.

She was right to do so - though sadly it appears local theatre-goers have not turned out or booked in big numbers. That is their loss.

That's not to say this was a blockbuster that people have missed - in the pantheon of Courts' past productions it may sit in a middling position, perhaps not to be remembered in a few years in the same light as some others. But it was, and is, very enjoyable.

Bizarrely, the small cast and easy stage setting might even have worked against it. With just a cast of seven, at times they seemed lost - even on a stage the size of the Thameside. I would love to see how they manage it in a West End theatre, but I wanted to be really up close and personal. It would a magnificent show for a small stage in the round.

But maybe that's nit-picking. And does not do justice to another superb cast.

The play is barely a few years old, premiered at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester as recently as 2022 before moving to the West End. The plot centres on suburban couple Peter and Debbie, whose polite invitation to a stranger on holiday has dire consequences. I shall say no more - go visit and find out yourself what the denouement is. 

The title role goes to Jill Snelling - now a veteran of Courts productions and an absolute icon in local drama circles. Rarely does she put a foot or word wrong and she reflects the personality of the eponymous 'friend' Elsa Jean Krakowski to a tee.

Peter and Debbie are played by Ian Benson (who adds another string to his bow of great characterisations) and Lauren Jones - who doesn't have speak but can tell a whole story with a glance, a raised eyebrow or a grimace. The duo were a real tour-de-force.  

Those of us of a certain age may remember the wonderful Richard Briers TV comedy 'Ever Decreasing Circles'. I suspect Mr Moffat somewhat unashamedly ripped of its quirky character Howard Hughes as the inspiration for the next door neighbour who is so boring, he doesn't even get a namecheck! Filling those sad shoes for Courts is David Carey and I can only say he was brilliant.

Peter and Debbie's truculent children are played by a wonderfully petulant Lily Edmeades and a highly strung Sophie Nash (remember her from Little Voice!). Any parents in the audience will have no problem recognising their developing angst.  

Rounding up the seven, but doing it in style, is Trevor Povey as PC Junkin, whose toilet tribulations will be a sticking point in my memory for a long time.

All in all, a wonderfully enjoyable night. The first half is relatively short, deliberately so by Victoria who amended original staging schedules because it 'just felt right'. A great call. 

There are two shows left. Tomorrow and Friday and there are plenty of seats available. All I can say is that rather than sit at home and watch turgid trash on TV, go out and see some real live entertainment.

Many times tonight I giggled and tittered and there were moments when only a real belly laugh would do. I left with a smile on my face and a sense of contentment.

I could ask for no more.

If you fancy that, check out the Thameside booking page here: https://thameside-tickets.thamesidetheatre.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173666688