Dear Martin ★★★ Arcola Theatre | March 5 - 29, 2025


So what do you do when you discover that your wife has been exchanging love letters with a criminal psychopath who is incarcerated in a mental institution? When Dave, the cuckolded husband in this triangle, discovers this epistolary infidelity, he decides to write to Martin, the rival for wife's affections. Thus begins a very funny and very odd relationship between the two. Madeleine Brettingham's play squeezes a lot of chuckles from this curious bonding between the suave psychopath and the wimpish husband, but the situation is one which might also make us question some of the premises of this laughter. The humour is drawn from Dave, a rather sad, desperate individual seeking love and validation, who becomes the pawn of a person who lacks both morals and empathy. While the fact that these two are presented as caricatures may make the laughter seem more acceptable, the amusement provoked by Dave's misfortune and Martin's manipulation has a somewhat uneasy underpinning. There is an uncomfortable quality to the jocularity that arises from mocking Dave's neediness and trivialising Martin's pathology. Traditionally, the butt of most humour is wilful human folly, but it is not really clear how that is the case here, as both characters seem to be acting out of complicated psychological conditions. Despite a somewhat overly camp and shaky beginning when he is invoking Martin's name, Ben Simpson does a good job of creating the vulnerable and easily victimised, Dave, while Alex Mugnaioni never misses a beat as the wisecracking narcissist, Martin. Some of the best scenes are the more serious ones when he is interacting with his doctor, nicely played by Amelia Donkor. Director, Wiebke Green has ensured that the show is briskly paced, but that nagging doubt about the source of our laughter keeps popping up. Dear Martin offers some pithy observations and witty commentary on the nature of human relations, but it also makes one question what we are finding funny.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Charlie Flint

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 24 Ashwin St, London E8 3DL, UK

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