Few productions could be more suited to the intimate seating arrangements of Trafalgar Studios than 'Celebrity Night at Café Red', a polished comedy written and directed by Lily Bevan, and set in the cramped interior of a tacky French bistro.
For one night only, French celebrity chef Roly Ryan (Mike Wozniak) will treat his dining guests, some more familiar than others, to what can only be described as an 'original' menu.
Bevan's show confidently blends together disparate comic styles, from the surreal mimes of waiters Freddie Machin and Alys Metcalf, to the confident stand-up approach of the feral Wozniak, as well as every shade of awkward romcom humour in between (courtesy of the amorous escapades of the evening's diners).
The action does stall towards the end, when Roly's lengthy meltdown is neither serious nor funny enough to justify the time it takes, but the play is soon rescued from the doldrums by a superb performance from a silent Metcalf.
The world of celebrity restaurateurs is perhaps a slightly dated target, so Bevan deserves real credit for pulling a spirited, funny play out of it.