Reviews

• C Groenewald

  May 1, 2016

  Absolutely brilliant entertainment with fantastic performance by all, and a theatre set build to perfection. A must see for all ! 10/10!

• Louisa

  Apr 29, 2016

  We really enjoyed this show. It was funny, dark and very well acted. The comparisons to other shows feel pretty irrelevant. The hangover of loss, the journey to find a voice that is truly you, and the ability to mess up are all themes that the viewer can soberly relate to whilst laughing out loud. Which is OKAY! This is gritty drama carried through with humour, not masked by it. And the puppet is brilliant! Or rather Harry Melling is. Really pleased we got to see it.

• Nikki

  Apr 27, 2016

  Very funny. Tyrone and Jason were great. One really felt that there were two people interacting - thank you Harry Melling. And the puppet sex scene was brilliant - effectively 4 characters taken in by 2 people! It's just a shame there wasn't more puppet interaction. Lots of close to the bone stuff but very good. Go and see it!

• Kat

  Apr 27, 2016

  The show is hilarious and extremely well executed. Every one of the cast are fantastic. The plot surprises you, reflecting deeper and darker themes than you initially assume... Five stars.

• Sara

  Apr 25, 2016

  Slow to get going. Not so many laughs at start, got better later. Puppetry was excellent very impressive. You forgot about the hand. Sex scene in 2nd half was very funny. Theatre quite empty so poor atmosphere. Enjoyed it over all, but had expected a bit more comedy, was a bit dark in places.

• Mandy

  Apr 25, 2016

  Absolutely superb!

• Debbie Sarjant

  Apr 25, 2016

  A compelling and wonderfully acted play that made us laugh and gasp by turns. By the end we were witnessing a bloodbath on the scale of a Shakespeare tragedy and I couldn't help wondering what was the point of all that anger and violence. My favourite scene: puppet sex enacted with perfectly-judged I passivity by the two puppeteers. The show left us with lots to think about.

• Dawn

  Apr 24, 2016

  This a very clever play and so funny - really enjoyed it - the main character, Jason, was awesome acting - well done. Such a shame it is ending 5.5 weeks early.

• Rob V

  Apr 24, 2016

  The cast of five were outstanding, the plot takes an unexpectedly dark path, the puppetry was excellent and the staging very impressive at this intimate theatre. The production uses silences to almost as great effect as hilarity, and there's plenty of the latter. Oh so wrong hilarity! Don't go if you're a prude, otherwise book now - so sad that the run will end early.

• Lion

  Apr 23, 2016

  The guy who plays Jason is a genius! Go see him playing 2 completely opposite characters pitch perfectly.

• louise

  Apr 22, 2016

  Really enjoyed the production. Very funny and the perfromers were brilliant. Very funny. Must see.

• Jon B

  Apr 22, 2016

  The actors, set and puppetry in this production are very good. Cracking puppet sex scene (and great norks on the female puppet). As for the play, all I can say is that this script must be the product of a troubled mind. Outside the main character the storyline is weak and adds nothing to the wild schizophrenia of the main character. The main puppet (Tyrone) goes on a pair of frankly bizarre rants at the beginning and end of the play. This is amusing at first but contributes little. I have no issue with profanity when it contributes to the scene but the volume of ****** swear words in this play is ****** excessive. Tyrone as a character is enjoyable and the puppetry is first-rate. Drop the script and send Tyrone on a stand-up tour.

• Herts John

  Apr 18, 2016

  Purchased the tickets for this show on the morning of the show itself. We were not sure what to expect as there were different reviews available about the show. Really glad we went to see it as it is a show of different dimensions. On one hand it is hilarious with the idea of a 'talking' and opinionated sock puppet and on the other hand, at the same time dealing with a number of thought provoking issues. A small, yet hardworking cast, deliver a frantic production which had all the audience laughing out loud. The main character, Jason, 'worked' Tyrone (his puppet) with skill and a fantastic sense of timing. He really brought Tyrone to life and there were times when you really thought they were different characters on stage. If you want to see something different, (at times bizarre), this very adult production will delight you. It makes a nice change from the musical productions running in the West End.

• Matt R

  Apr 17, 2016

  Wow!!! Some parts where hilarious, others parts I didn't have a clue what was going on and some parts were just weird. The acting was incredible and world class though. Definitely not one for the kids or the older generation though....

• Saiqa Ali

  Apr 17, 2016

  My husband and I were both disappointed with the play. The actors were good but the story was ridiculous. I didn't find it particularly funny either

• Nick D

  Apr 15, 2016

  Delirious hilarious outrageous joyful wonderful

• Ana

  Apr 13, 2016

  Harry Melling what an incredible performance! The set, tec and entire cast were phenomenal yesterday evening at Vaudeville theatre. SUCH an important and exciting piece of theatre! Excited for whatever comes next from Robert Askins!

• Theatre lover

  Apr 11, 2016

  The puppetry is amazing! The show content isn't for the easily offended with gore, puppet sex and other generally adult themes but I enjoyed it and was fantastic value for money.

• Theatre lover

  Apr 11, 2016

  The puppetry is amazing! The show content isn't for the easily offended with gore, puppet sex and other generally adult themes but I enjoyed it and was fantastic value for money.

• Paul Brooke

  Apr 9, 2016

  Original, hysterically funny - there were people in the audience who sounded as if they would have seizures - and thought provoking. I just loved it. It should have been packed out. I am in my seventies and was delighted to see so many people, maybe, a third of my age having the time of their lives.

• James M

  Apr 6, 2016

  I thought the show was terrific fun and laughed uproariously. Can't understand why the theatre not full. Yes, it's in your face, but it's effectively exploring dissociative disorder, where a kid develops an alternative persona (in this case through his puppet) as a means of expressing his anger with how things have turned out. And he has to make a choice to reintegrate his anger and be honest about his feelings. Meanwhile, another member of the youth group is having it away with his mother! The puppet sex scene is hilarious. The acting is brilliant and the cast do a wonderful job.

• Chrisie

  Apr 6, 2016

  Such an accurate discription. Very funny, Harry Melling is so skilled. Recommend for laugh with serious undertones.

• Helen

  Apr 5, 2016

  not for the faint hearted, quite a bit of swearing but thoroughly enjoyed it, I've not laughed that much in years

• j martin

  Apr 4, 2016

  Great show. something different, worth seeing!

• Cecilia

  Apr 3, 2016

  Hand to God

• YB

  Apr 3, 2016

  I'll admit, I didn't read the reviews. The blurb was about a comedy, and we had a fair amount of laughs, this is true. What wasn't really explained was the comedy turned rather dark. My pretty unshockable (atheist) friend drew breath at a bible having pages ripped out and I was uncomfortable with a teenager being denied professional help while having some sort of episode because the mother was concerned with appearances. But, it was thought provoking and left us discussing it on the way home, which I suppose was the aim of it. Can't help feeling it is aimed more at American rather than UK theatre goers, and not just because of the accents but because of the concept- the English are much less likely to be hung up and repressed as shown in the play. I'm not saying it was bad, I quite enjoyed it, but I'd have gone elsewhere if I'd known it wasn't the lighthearted comedy I was looking for. The acting was very good and they made the characters believable.

• Burt

  Apr 3, 2016

  I was left with a feeling that the script required more laughs, specifically the first half of the play, as the second half of the show really came into its own. Great concept and great theatre.

• Elmira

  Apr 2, 2016

  Funny show that shows how people cope with grief. Sets were well done, puppets were really good and actors were superb!

• Toots

  Apr 1, 2016

  Brilliant acting , a fantastic play, however, it would not be everyone's cup of tea as the subject matter is controversial, shocking , violent, very funny and rather disturbing. That said I would recommend if your open minded, not easily shocked and just want to see some fabulous acting.

• Jan

  Apr 1, 2016

  Having seen mixed reviews I went with an open mind. I really loved the show; the actors were brilliant in their roles, especially the main character who you could truly believe was conversing with his puppet. A few scenes which felt a little unbelievable but passed, so didn't phase me. Has been criticised re the language but if you get offended by this kind of thing, then seriously you shouldn't be buying a ticket! All is in keeping with the premise of the show. Invited a friend who normally wouldn't go to this kind of thing and she also had a lot of fun!

• John

  Mar 31, 2016

  Really enjoyed Hand to God. Not for the sensitive theatre-goer but very captivating, different, entertaining and well acted.

• Andrii

  Mar 31, 2016

  Offensive, provocative, very well acted and hilarious - loved it.

• Lucy

  Mar 27, 2016

  A very different kind of play with a few surprises. An outstanding performance from Harry Melling with expert puppetry. Some truly hilarious scenes.

• D Fish

  Mar 26, 2016

  Very, very funny first half. Second half became very dark, not as funny but still good.

• Dinah

  Mar 26, 2016

  Very funny play acted superbly

• anne rollings

  Mar 25, 2016

  Well written and beautifully acted. Full of laughs but with a dark side. Hard to describe as a unique evening but all 4 of us of varying ages loved it

• Polly

  Mar 25, 2016

  Our family went to see Hand to God. Our friend in New York recommended it. We all thought it was very funny and Harry Melling was amazing. You really believe that his puppet has a life of its own and is the devil incarnate. My daughter (she is 26) has already recommended it to friends. We had a really good evening.

• Peter Wise

  Mar 25, 2016

  Very clever, unusual play. Extremely funny, crazy in places, but also thought-provoking, if you're looking to interpret something more profound. Wonderful performances by Harry Melling and Janie Dee.

• william winterford

  Mar 25, 2016

  Thoroughly entertaining, however I don't think it was correctly advertised. Yes, it had many very funny moments but it also had serious and thought-provoking content, which came as a bit of a surprise - not an unpleasant one however. It was highly original and I would recommend it to those who "like that sort of thing".

• Heather

  Mar 24, 2016

  What a great night. The vaudeville theatre is an intimate venue for this great play. The actors made us laugh and cry and question because this play could be viewed on several levels. It has been liken to The Book of Mormon for good reason. The puppetry was awesome and the whole cast deserve praise. I have already recommended it to my colleagues.

• Neal T

  Mar 22, 2016

  Fantastic evening of entertainment with a very real message about modern life. First rate performances from the cast.

• CG Rose

  Mar 18, 2016

  Fabulous!

• Emily Elizabeth

  Mar 17, 2016

  This wonderful play and absolutely amazing cast do it all the justice it deserves. Funny, heartbreaking and over all the BEST puppet sex in history. 5* rating for the outstanding performance from everyone! I've seen it twice and if I can, I will see it again!! Absolutely brilliant.

• M. Cannon

  Mar 17, 2016

  Wonderfully, comically, breathtakingly entertaining! All around laughed out loud....Just the tonic!

• CK

  Mar 17, 2016

  Wickedly funny. If you loved Avenue Q and Book of Mormon you will enjoy this.

• Brett

  Mar 16, 2016

  Enjoyed the show it was excellent, with top class acting. Still chuckling now.

• Charlotte

  Mar 16, 2016

  We enjoyed the show, it was different, funny and definitely surreal. Very entertaining!

• Rob

  Mar 16, 2016

  Had a blast. Great to see if you need a laugh and have a twisted sense of humor.

• Jean

  Mar 13, 2016

  Wasn't sure what to expect but it probably wasn't this! Funny any thought provoking

• Rina

  Mar 13, 2016

  I highly recommend seeing this show. Cleverly written and great performances.