Revival of gambling play pays off
Donmar Warehouse
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Patrick Marber’s first play returns to the Donmar. The story of a regular all male poker game in a restaurant basement resonated with critics who enjoyed the tension and humour in its depiction of insecure masculinity. They praised the cast which includes Alfie Allen and Brendan Coyle but Hammed Animashaun’s performance stole the show. Such criticism as there was centred on the contrived plot.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Laurie Yule for The Stage called it ‘A gripping production of a play that’s as brilliant as it is enduring.’
4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑
’What a blisteringly good play Dealer’s Choice is!’ proclaimed Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage. ‘A sharply funny, acutely insightful study of male insecurities, of the toxic relationships between fathers and sons, friends and colleagues, of the impulse to gamble a life on the turn of a card.’ She found the revival ‘beautifully cast and the direction taut’.
The Standard’s Nick Curtis felt it ‘holds up extremely well as a savagely comic study of compulsion.’ He was pleased with the latest cast: ‘Allen is good as the underwritten Frankie, a cocksure wide-boy who suddenly snaps. Barklem-Biggs is full of barely suppressed fury as Sweeney, while Coyle has a sleepy menace as Ash…Animashaun’s Mugsy is a delight from start to finish: charming, hilarious, irrepressible even when slighted.’
Claire Allfree for the Telegraph found, ‘Three decades on, Marber’s brutal comedy remains a masterclass portrait of lonely little men wishing themselves into being better people than they are…Dunster’s muscular production gives full reign to Marber’s blokey banter and apparently off-the-cuff wit.’
LondonTheatre’s Marianka Swain called it ‘a gripping portrait of male relationships at their base, competitive level: in order to win, you must destroy.’ ‘Go all in on this darkly entertaining gem,’ she recommended.
The Times’ Clive Davis described ‘On Moi Tran’s sleek set, a revolve allows us to study each player in turn.’ He pointed out ‘Coyle’s body language is extraordinarily eloquent: he may seem a calculating operator on the surface, but his sagging frame and weary glances tell another story about the precariousness of his trade.’
3 stars ⭑⭑⭑
Steve Dinneen for City AM felt it was a bit predictable: ‘It looks fantastic, with a rotating poker table and dramatic lighting but it plays out pretty much as you imagine, all macho outbursts and bitter recriminations.’
2 stars ⭑⭑
There was one dissenting voice: Ryan Gilbey for The Guardian. Having described the play as ‘superficially dazzling’, he went on to explain, ‘Two-thirds of the characters have no inner life, and half are prone to sudden outbursts which resemble artificial attempts to raise the stakes.’
Critics’ Average Rating 3.8★
Dealer’s Choice can be seen at the Donmar Warehouse until 7 June 2025. Click here for tickets direct from the theatre.
If you have seen Dealer’s Choice at the Donmar Warehouse, please give your review and rating below