If you're looking for an evening of unbridled fun and intriguing antics then you should check out the Stoke Rep Players' latest production The Unfriend - currently showing at Stoke Rep Theatre.

Written by Steven Moffat, the play is loosely based on the real-life story of a holiday friendship between an ordinary English family and a charismatic older single American woman - and her request to make a transatlantic visit to see them in London. 

The opening scene of the play - directed by Jane Procter and Ian Birkin, and assisted by Miranda Gresty, is set on the deck of a cruise ship where the connection between English couple Peter and Debbie and the brash Trump-loving American Elsa, begins. 

Elsa, played with charismatic chutzpah by Caroline Keen, is determined to get the address details of the polite and hapless British pair and thus begins to weave her web of charming manipulation and tenacity to elicit a house visit. 

Jason Whitehurst is endearingly characteristic and haphazard in his portrayal of forgetful husband and frazzled dad, Peter. Life seems constantly to overwhelm him. Fortunately, his wife Debbie - played assertively and concerningly by Elena Fox, attempts to bring order to the household amongst chaos of teenage angst and miscommunication. It is Debbie who realises that the looming arrival of Elsa may bring more drama than they expected and yet conversely, it is with the advent of the unwanted guest that order and family transition begin to manifest - albeit with unexpected consequences. 

The impact of Elsa’s arrival on their monosyllabic son, Alex - played by Evan Bailey, and their highly irritated daughter, Rosie - played by Maia Holmes, is simply transformational. Elsa also has a life-changing impact on the family's beleaguered neighbour who is played by Simon Bland.  All these dynamics ensure that the pace of the production is consistently engaging and hugely entertaining, with many real laugh-out-loud moments.

The Unfriend is ultimately a play about connection that develops out of traditional British etiquette - and the inability to speak clearly in situations where bluntness and straightforwardness would be the better option. 

The narrative is full of hilarious misconceptions and ridiculously funny situations which emerge simply because the main characters cannot articulate their desires for fear of offending others. It exposes beautifully the difference between the apologising British and the direct forthright American persona and yet even with such differences, commonalities can be found in the absurd and peculiar of human interactions.

Five stars

Reviewed by Carol Lovatt at Stoke Rep Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, on Wednesday 8 October.
The Unfriend continues to show at the venue until Saturday 11 October