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# REVIEW: Dealer’s Choice@88 London Road
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-dealers-choice88-london-road/
- Published: 2016-04-04T14:25:40.000Z
- Updated: 2016-04-06T09:18:05.000Z
- Description: Patrick Marber’s play is a jaundiced look at masculinity and shows how men fail at being fathers, sons and friends. During one night of poker the game itself becomes a kind of weapon which the play’s characters use to goad, taunt and humiliate each other. But the portraits presented, though far from
- Author: Michael Hootman
- Tags: Arts, In The South, News, Reviews, Theatre, Michael Hootman

[![ZZ3DD1A627](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/zz3dd1a627.jpg)](http://gscene.com/arts/theatre/review-dealers-choice88-london-road/attachment/zz3dd1a627/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)

**Patrick Marber’s play is a jaundiced look at masculinity and shows how men fail at being fathers, sons and friends.** During one night of poker the game itself becomes a kind of weapon which the play’s characters use to goad, taunt and humiliate each other. But the portraits presented, though far from flattering, have a good deal of subtlety and depth: occasionally one of the six anti-heroes will wrong-foot the audience by some small display of sympathy or even kindness.

Carl (**Griffin Stevens**) has an uneasy relationship with his restaurateur father Stephen (**Neil Roberts**) who taught him poker but now sees his son as an abject failure with a gambling problem. Sweeney (**Ben Crowe**), Frankie (**Samuel Clemens**) and Mugsy (**Matthew Zilch)** all work for Stephen and the already fraught employer-employee relationship is complicated by their weekly all-night poker evenings. The arrival of a sullen, almost menacing, customer Ash (**David Keyes**) leads to revelations which could see father and son pushed even further apart.

Though it might not sound it from the above description, *Dealer’s Choice* is a comedy. It might be harsh, and even unpleasant, but it is very funny. Naturally, in this testosterone-charged environment the go-to choice of insult is the one that emasculates. Typically this is done by caustic observations delivered in a lisping voice or referring to each other as a ‘*girl*’ or ‘*little madam*’ – and there is the traditional act of simulated buggery without which no critique of masculinity is complete.

The play boasts some truly excellent performances. Zilch is great as the almost-lovable dimwit who, despite the company he keeps, seems to maintain an almost childlike innocence. Roberts has a louche charm, and his portrayal seems balanced on a knife-edge between the paternal and the reptilian. Crowe is excellent as the Everyman – or perhaps Everygeezer – who would be a very good father if, after finally winning access to his daughter, he didn’t gamble away the money he needed to take her on a day out.

Continues until April 16 at 88 London Road.

[For more details and tickets click here.](http://88londonroad.com/dealers/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)