Play Review: Verbal Diary
By John Otway, Paul Bradley and Tom Johnson
Rik Mayall Comedy Festival
June 7, 2025
The Norbury Theatre
The play’s chaotic charm centres around Gordon, played with remarkable tenderness and perfectly timed comedic delivery by Tom Johnson. He embodies the underdog spirit as Gordon stumbles through his New Year’s resolutions: keeping a daily diary and winning the girl. However for poor Gordon, it’s never that simple. His new flat mates soon start to read the Diary and anticipate his every move. Oh and by the way, the set? It’s a life size pop up book!
Interwoven into the narrative are beautiful songs from John Otway. Featuring the poignant sounds of violin and cello (Charlie Skelton, Hannah Whitbourn, with Scutty Lee) that amplify the emotional resonance of the characters, as well as adding another layer of emotion to the whole experience.
The supporting cast shines. Georgie Harriet King is brilliantly warm as medical student and out of league love interest, Cheryl. Offering a grounded counterpoint to the surrounding madness, while still delivering witty lines that land every time.
James Little captures the whimsical innocence of Tristram, the aspiring musical artist, with brattish childlikeness. And Alex J Carter who hilariously transitions between the boisterous lad Phil and the unsettling newspaper boss, Eric Ericson, bringing Johnson’s carefully crafted gags to vibrant life. You could tell he had great fun with this character, and the chemistry between Eric and Gordon was joyously terrifying.
With so much happening on stage at any one time it can seem difficult to make yourself seen, but for Johnson, that’s not a problem. His standout physical comedy is a force to be reckoned with; his rubber face is a comedic treasure trove. Every nuanced expression, every perfectly timed grimace, is visible even from the back of the room. His commitment to the physicality of the role elevates the humour and makes Gordon incredibly endearing.
Verbal Diary, however, isn’t just a string of jokes; it’s a heart-warming narrative about self-discovery and the pursuit of happiness, wrapped in a package of comedic chaos. The play is not only a testament to Johnson’s performance skills but also his writing, leaving the audience with a genuine joy and a lingering smile after the show has ended. And with the direction of Sara Thompson, Verbal Diary is truly superb in all of it’s mayhem.
A definite highlight of The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival.
By: Louis Aday