Review: Sniff (Park Theatre)

Review by Harry Bower

⭐️⭐️⭐️

When the lights go down and a cliche-filled and scarily good jingle for a gambling app plays, audiences could be forgiven for surprise when they come back up and we’re in a dingy dank pub toilet. It might not sound like an appealing location for a double-hander in which we never leave the urinal, and yet it is somehow appropriate in Sniff, a dark comedy devised by Make It Beautiful theatre company. When Alex, a sell-out advertising executive who never looks too closely at the morals of his work, meets Liam, a coke and gambling addict, his pending engagement is derailed. All Alex wants is to have a wee; something he struggles to do in front of others. What he gets instead, is a slow unravelling of his life.

This story, packed full of drama, is written by its two performers; Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson and Felix Grainger. As Alex and Liam jockey for position, so do the actors, each pushing themselves to match their respective character’s exasperation and despair. Sometimes this strays into the realms of overacting, but thankfully more often than not pays off beautifully thanks to their undeniable chemistry and great comedic timing. 

Having seen both performers in The Nag’s Head at the same venue last year it’s clear that these characters have been drawn to perfectly fit the skills of the performers. Both have an abundance of talent and energy. That energy is so ferocious that when the more introspective, less surreal, more calm scenes arrive they hit with a sense of relief on the part of the audience.

Key messages are hammered home about gambling addiction with nuance and a quality satirical wit. Lots of plays try to make a societal point but many slip into preachy territory; Sniff never does. It’s a piece which benefits from not trying too hard to achieve too much. The writing is considered and thoughtful, and makes its point in an entertaining rather than patronising way. Its twists are unpredictable though if I had one criticism it’s that its drama hits the audience over and over and over again; there is very little rest bite. Its characters sometimes appear two-dimensional, despite some attempts to flesh out origin stories via flashbacks which are a mixed bag.

Sniff is a lot of fun. Written in a way that never takes itself too seriously but retains an intellectual weight about its themes, it is funny and provocative. With some great physical comedy and an abundance of energy it’s bound to be a hit with audiences looking for a great night at the theatre, particularly when paired with Cold Water for the Park90’s Make Mine A Double ticket scheme. It feels at times though Sniff Fogarty-Graveson and Grainger are stuck between writing an irreverent dark comedy, and writing a moral-driven satire. Of course a play can be both of those things, but to me the balance wasn’t quite right in this one. It’s hugely promising work though and a rollercoaster of drama which is captivating to the final twist.

Sniff plays at the Park Theatre until 24 May 2024. For more information visit: https://parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/sniff