Park Theatre

A jaded Vietnam war veteran is drawn to Donald Trump’s hate-filled rhetoric in Richard Vergette’s one-man show about the siren call of populism in modern West End politics. Andrew Pearson and Andy Jordan direct.

When an ABBA covers band booking at his local arts venue falls through, Brummie superfan Peter sees an opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream: to step in and form his own tribute group to the Swedish pop maestros, with a difference. How will audiences react to he and his friend Edward playing Agnetha and Anni-Frid? And will their recently renewed friendship survive the experience? ‘The Way Old Friends Do’ is a play by actor Ian Hallard, who’s also on stage as Peter, a warmly approachable but initially shy ABBA fan who shares everything with his beloved nan apart from his bisexuality. He and Edward – James Bradshaw, most recently seen on our screens as dry pathologist Dr Max DeBryn in ‘Inspector Morse’ prequel ‘Endeavour’ – inadvertently reconnect via hook-up app Grindr after decades of not seeing each other. Hallard’s real-life love of ABBA shines through in his script, which packs in a Wikipedia-entry level of biographical nuggets about the group. The play’s exploration of the contours of a middle-aged friendship – not a romance – between two queer men is also a refreshing twist on its rom-com trappings. It’s similarly interesting to watch Edward, who hides his vulnerability inside an armour of posh bitchiness, tentatively navigate the idea of an open relationship after decades of monogamy with his soon-to-be husband. There’s some strong support from Donna Berlin as Peter’s no-nonsense friend Sally, who has to contend with Edward’s excesses while undergoing IVF with her wife