ED2015 5/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

Bathtime (Richard Purnell)

By Patrick Galbraith | Published on Tuesday 11 August 2015

Warped, nihilistic and hilarious, I wish that Richard Purnell would turn dark new comedy ‘Bathtime’ into a novel so I could lie back beneath the bubbles and read it over and over. Harry Garner, a lower-middle class call centre worker, unnervingly acted by Purnell, lies in the bath reflecting on falling in love, falling out of love and the small matter of his wife being bludgeoned to death. The rich, wry, intelligence of Purnell’s writing is outstanding – think Updike with a Southend accent. He killed his wife, I’m sure he did, but I love him anyway – Harry Garner is one of the most psychologically compelling characters I’ve encountered at this year’s Fringe.

C Nova, until 22 Aug.
tw rating 5/5 | [Patrick Galbraith]