Jennifer Christie reviews A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynaecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City now playing at the Finborough Theatre.
Although there are a lot of genuine laughs, many at the expense of theatre critics (subject matter that keeps on giving), this is not a comedy. It is squid ink dark, intense, uncomfortable theatre. And it belongs to Reed Birney, who is magnificent as Ella’s ghastly, vicious father, David, a huge beast of a role, as great as any of the major father characters in Williams, O’Neill or Albee.
