‘Alex’ at Leicester Square Theatre

Under any other circumstances, the concept of producing a one-man stage play based on a comic strip is the kind of pitch that will get you thrown out of the boardroom for being stupid.

In the past, such endeavours have ended with tragic exploitation of the entertainment industry such as Garfield: The Movie. However, Robert Bathurst’s quick wit and director Phelim McDermott’s unconventional approach to theatre production make Alex a fairly enjoyable, topical way to spend an hour (and a bit) out of an evening.

Peattie & Taylor’s original comic strip has been around since the early ’80s. It is, perhaps, an unusual springboard for a theatrical production as it suffers from a Buzz-Killington-variety sense of humour (‘Being rich and greedy! Hur hur hur…’).

The stage variation gives the comic’s premise a sense of unity and consistency, as it follows the everyday life of arrogant, shallow investment banker Alex Masterley. His typically cosy, hedonistic situation becomes unexpectedly threatened with the prospect of losing his job, mounting issues in his married life, and uncomfortable revelations about his flamboyant Eurotrash assistant. Hilarity ensues. Sort of.

Although Bathurst is undeniably a charismatic and talented actor, the production suffers a number of kinks which hinder Alex’s potential. First of all, Leicester Square Theatre was evidently constructed before the concept of ‘ergonomics’ kicked in. Zero incline in the stalls means that the entire audience spends 80 minutes craning their necks in an attempt to bend light around that one really tall guy (possibly due to top hat, considering the target audience) sitting right in front of them.

Secondly, the idea of Alex interacting with animated secondary characters projected onto screens is innovative – but far from perfected. The cartoon supporting cast moves at a rate of three frames per minute on endless loop, possibly in an attempt to remind the audience of their humble ink-on-paper origins. This doesn’t work; it’s simply annoying.

The technicalities aside, Alex has its moments. ‘If you can’t eat it, drink it or smoke it, don’t invest in it’ is the kind of witty one-liner the script offers consistently. Alex himself never fails to stay true to himself in all his money-loving, soul-selling glory. Fortunately the production team has resisted any kind of moral ‘lesson-learned’ outcome for any of the characters, which probably echoes the real world more than intended. Yes, it’s meant to be a satire and a parody, but ascend above the fifth floor of any grey, gold-plated building in the City and you will inevitably find an Alex or a Mr Sterling furiously mashing his BlackBerry keypad.

In a word, Alex is alright. Probably a stronger appeal to the higher echelons of corporate society (which could explain the excessive £45 ‘business class’ ticket price – which gets you a fancy seat cover and skinny booklet), since that’s where the humour will take on a facet of it’s-funny-because-it’s-true.

Die-hard fans of the original comic strip may be disappointed by a different tone and style of humour. Probably also an interesting exhibit for theatre production majors for the unconventional approach, but otherwise not the most fantastic bit of entertainment on offer this season, though worth a look if you’re into that kind of thing.

Alex is showing until December 20 at:

Leicester Square Theatre
6 Leicester Place
WC2H 7BX

Box office: 0844 847 2475