The Pain and the Itch

Genre: Comedy
Opened 21 June 2007
Written: by Bruce Norris
Directed: Dominic Cooke
Produced: Royal Court
Cast: Matthew Macfadyen, Amanda Boxer, Abdi Gouhad, Hannah Gunn, Shannon Kelly, Andrea Riseborough, Sara Stewart, Peter Sullivan, Angelica Trew.
Synopsis: A cosy family Thanksgiving dinner for six. Someone - or something - is leaving bite marks in the avocados. Clay and Kelly's daughter Kayla has an itch and Carol can't remember who played Ghandi.

What the critics had to say.....
KIERON QUIRKE for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Abrasive, relentless and really very funny satire." PAUL TAYLOR for THE INDEPENDENT says, "Through clever, intricate plotting, it builds into a devastating indictment of lip-service liberalism...I don't see how Cooke could have directed this play any better. Highly recommended." MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "A wittily ingenious satire on America's phoney liberalism...the play is very funny." ALEKS SIERZ for THE STAGE says, "Has considerable satirical bite and is immensely satisfying in terms of its structure." CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "This is a terrifically entertaining, sometimes disturbing play that asks uncomfortable questions about the way the West lives now."

External links to full reviews from popular press
The Independent
The Guardian