The Mentalists by Richard Bean
War, poverty, corruption, spiralling taxes, bad behaviour, inter-personal violence and over-population. Do these things worry you?Middle-aged manager Ted, hits on a utopian plan to change the way we live in this darkly funny play.
'Bean is making merry here with his experience as both a stand-up comedian and a sit-down psychologistWhat's particularly impressive is his ability to suspend a joke or tall tale's pay-off, or end it in an unexpected way... I now find myself impatiently awaiting the next new Bean feast, and I think the revivals of his early work - Toast at the Park, and now this play - only serve to underline his pre-eminence in our theatre.' What's On Stage; 'A successful conversational, ruminative piece that dramatises the mutual dependency of old friends... this oddest of "Odd Couple" comedies.' The Independent; 'It seems obvious that any show that brings such a great comic team together will be hilarious and the show most certainly lives up to expectations. The plot focuses on their friendship and the execution of Ted's plan. There are countless fantastic jokes... Neither character follows through expectations from their introduction until the show's end... This is a dark comedy with a unique take on the importance of friendship and getting through life. The entire run is echoed by audience's laughter throughout and makes for a really fantastic night out at the theatre.' A Younger Theatre; 'The Mentalists confirms Richard Bean as a writer of beguiling originality, with a gift for both laugh-out-loud dialogue and a sympathetic understanding of the darker recesses of the human heart.' Telegraph; 'The Mentalists ...turns out to be an original and beguiling piece about obsession and the peculiar demands of male friendship...Bean's climax, when it comes, may not carry total conviction but what it reveals is that this is a play about mutual dependence.' Guardian; 'For the beautifully performed double act and the hilariously meandering dialogue, this is a theatrical hotel room worth checking into.' Independent
In 2011 Richard became the first playwright to win the Evening Standard Award for Best Play for two plays, The Heretic and One Man, Two Guvnors. The New York production of One Man, Two Guvnors was awarded the 2012 Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play. His recent credits include Kiss Me (Hampstead), The Nap (Sheffield Crucible), Great Britain (National Theatre), Made in Dagenham: The Musical (Adelphi Theatre) and Pitcairn (Chichester Minerva Theatre/Shakespeare’s Globe). Richard’s other work includes Under the Whaleback (Royal Court. George Devine Award 2002), The Heretic (The Royal Court. Evening Standard Best New Play 2011), Honeymoon Suite (Pearson Play of the Year), Harvest (Critic’s Circle Best New Play), The House of Games (from David Mamet’s film), a new version of Moliere’s The Hypochondriac, The Big Fellah (Out of Joint), England People Very Nice (National Theatre), The Mentalists (National Theatre), The English Game (Headlong), Up on Roof and Pub Quiz is Life (Hull Truck), In the Club (Hampstead), The God Botherers (Bush Theatre) and Mr England (Sheffield Crucible). His radio plays include Unsinkable, Robin Hood’s Revenge, Of Rats and Men.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781840022872 |
| ISBN 10 | 1840022876 |
| Title | The Mentalists |
| Author | Richard Bean |
| Series | Oberon Modern Plays |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Year published | 2002-09-01 |
| Number of pages | 74 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |