Alterations
National Theatre, London

WHEN a rarely revived play from yesteryear is brought back to life it always begs the question — why now? In the case of Michael Abbensetts’ 1978 work Alterations the answer is clearly “legacy,” but is that enough to warrant such a revival?  

Walker Holt (Arinzé Kene) is a man on a mission and it is all hands to the seams in his “not exactly Yves Sant Laurent” Carnaby Street garment modification shop. Mr Nat (Colin Mace), a Jewish forefather of the profession, has called on him to alter hundreds of pairs of trousers within 24 hours, and with a desire to be “the king of the garment jungle,” Kene’s Walker sets about it with frantic fervour.

Caught in the cross-stitch of his aspirations are “wife, just” Darlene (Cherrelle Skeete), subsidiary business partner Buster (Gershwyn Eustace Jnr), the flamboyant and charming Horace (Karl Collins) and sharp upstart Courtney (Raphel Famotibe).