Simon Ward reviews Sunday On The Rocks at The Bread and Roses Theatre

Originally emerging in the mid-nineties, Theresa Rebeck’s witty and insightful play is as resonant today as it ever was. Elly (Candace Leung) is pregnant and not happy about it. Boston housemates Gayle (Rachael Bellis, who also directs) and Jen (Olivia Gibbs-Fairley) join her in polishing off a bottle of scotch for breakfast as they sympathise, cajole, criticise and gradually descend into the sort of chaos only a drunken morning can produce. Lurking in the background of their conversation is the fourth housemate, Jessica (Julie Cheung-Inhin), whose apparently perfect life puts all of theirs to shame. The only reason they can get away with the transgressive drinking is because Jessica is out with her perfect boyfriend – otherwise her judgmental attitudes are overbearing.

Admittedly Scotch for breakfast is surely not appropriate for anyone, but especially not for someone who is pregnant. But then again, if you didn’t want the baby in the first place, why not? And there is some exculpatory discussion of Bloody Mary for brunch. The truth is that all these characters are lost and unhappy – this is not where they had expected to be by this stage in their lives. When the dreaded Jessica finally makes her appearance – in a nice coup de théâtre involving a ouija board and Jen’s mom – she is, of course, appalled by their behaviour. And although her holier-than-thou demeanour is annoying, she also delivers some harsh truths.

Men are universally hopeless, violent or both. Elly’s boyfriend takes no responsibility for her pregnancy at all – it is a problem which she has to sort out herself. Jen has a work colleague who won’t stop pestering her in spite of her persistent rejection of his advances – so much so that he turns up outside and insists that they talk. Even Jessica’s boyfriend is so lacking in genuine feeling that when they discuss marriage it is all about the arrangements and nothing about love. There is a tiny glimmer of hope in a man Gayle has just started to get interested in – but, from all we have witnessed, disappointment may well be around the corner.

Sunday On The Rocks is reminiscent of the writing of Nora Ephron, of its near-contemporary Sex and the City and the like but it more than holds its own in that company. It shows women bonding over their problems, just being there for each other in the face of crummy jobs, useless men and the ill-effects of the patriarchy. This production, however, didn’t quite deliver the sparks it could have done. The cast seemed slightly under-rehearsed. Where farce-like precision timing was called for in delivering razor-sharp lines, too often there was imprecision. I also felt that the introduction of an interval into a show that only ran for 90 minutes or so was a mistake, and dissipated some of the play’s momentum. In spite of all that the play itself is so good that it is an enjoyable and entertaining evening.

Sunday On The Rocks runs until Saturday 1st June 2024 at the Bread and Roses Theatre, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ