The Manny – Smock Alley – Review
13 – 18 Nov 2023

A Manny (or male Nanny) is an unusual job. Our main protagonist fell into the work as he dropped out of college and couldn’t hold down a full-time job. The work is surprisingly well paid, as he looks after a variety of spoiled kids in the west of London! These are the children of the elite, the cream of English society.

We meet our Manny (Sam McArdle) as he is just about to go on another date. He treats these events like military operations. He has researched the woman he is about to meet and knows her musical taste and hobbies. They’re meeting for ‘cans in the park’ which seems quirky but it is actually because he’s broke. He knows exactly what to say to each of her comments, as he’s had this conversation many times before, every pause and joke is deeply considered. He’s there for one purpose, to have sex, and there is never a second date!

The Manny seems happy with this shallow existence, that is until he meets two characters that alter how he sees the world. One is a young boy aged 9, called Michael, who is far too fascinated with the Second World War for a child his age! He’s lacked a male role model in his life since his parents broke up. The other is a young woman called Molly, a would-be actor who leads an amateur dramatics class and is fascinated with art and culture.

Sam talks directly to the audience at all times, telling his tale. There are a few easy interactions with audience members. A woman in the front row becomes his Tinder date of the evening. Another time, he hands out presents, again focusing on the women in the audience. It feels like he is wooing the women, but he only gets one shot. He’s all veneer and no substance, and the more time you spend in his company, the easier it is to see his flaws.

This is a new play written and performed by Sam McArdle. The play was performed in the King’s Head Theatre, London in January of this year and received several glowing reviews. While the Manny is not a nice individual, for the way he treats women and more, Sam’s charm manages to keep the audience on his side. Sam is a tall, muscled individual, who exudes self-confidence and works the audience well.  The director of the piece, Melanie Fullbrook, keeps the pace relatively high and it rarely lags. While the topic of an over-sexed man realising the errors of his ways is well-travelled ground, this work is particularly well crafted and delivered with some panache.

WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY Sam McArdle
DIRECTED BY Melanie Fullbrook
LIGHTING DESIGN BY Can Avnii
SOUND DESIGN BY Charlie Smith
ARTWORK AND POSTER DESIGN BY Rebecca Need Menear, Jesper Tielbeke and Jonny Murphy
REHEARSAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY James Corrigan
LONDON PERFORMANCE PHOTOGRAPHY BY Gabriel Bush