Buyer & Cellar
05 October 2024
King’s Head Theatre
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Buyer & Cellar is running at the King’s Head Theatre for another two weeks, and I cannot recommend the show enough. It’s a highly entertaining work of fiction that will have you in stitches throughout the show.
Alex is an out of work actor who is presented with an unusual opportunity, a steady full time acting job that requires retail experience but only has an audience of one. In the basement of Barbra Streisand’s Malibu mansion, she keeps all her favourite belongings in a street of quaint little shops, a personal mall that is not open to the public, but simply exists to show off her collection, to herself. There is an antique shop filled with furniture and trinkets, a clothing boutique housing many of her famous outfits, a doll shop, a gift shop, even a frozen yogurt shop that is fully functional. It is Alex’s job to spend his days keeping the mall clean and well organized, on the off chance that Barbra decides to descend the spiral staircase to wander amongst her most prized possessions.
Alex is brilliantly played by Rob Madge, whose comedic timing, theatrical storytelling, and impeccable facial gymnastics make this story a hilariously entertaining frolic through the entertainment industry. Using fantastic stage lighting to change the tone and atmosphere of each scene, the simple green panelled wall as a backdrop, and the single chair on a parquet floor become a grandiose underground shopping mall, a stunning mansion, a small flat in which Alex recounts his adventures to his sceptical boyfriend Barry, and so much more. The staging is simple but effective, the perfect support for a hilarious story of the rich and famous, and those wanting to be close to them. Airy and profound at once, it’s a radiant deep-dive into the outrageous world of super-stardom, thoroughly entertaining and whimsically imaginative.
