Review: Toast at the Park Theatre

Toast 
Park Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 29th August 2014
★★★

As Richard Bean continues to take theatreland by storm, Eleanor Rhode has staged the first London revival of his very first play, Toast.

Inspired by the time he spent working in a bread plant, Toast is one of Bean's few plays to feature characters based on people he knew and worked alongside personally.

Other than a factory drama the piece is character driven, centring around the men's unique relationships. I do love a character driven piece, and here Bean provides characters with brains of all shapes and sizes. Some are not to be messed with, while others clearly have a screw loose.

What I love most about Bean is his unpredictability; within the last two months I've had the pleasure of seeing One Man Two Guvnors (which is touring the UK) and Great Britain (which is about to transfer to the West End), as well as Toast. All three plays couldn't be more different, with Toast being the most gentle of the three. Its rhythm is calmer.

Park Theatre confirms Autumn season; full casting announced for Richard Bean's Toast

The Park Theatre has announced the full programme for its upcoming Autumn season. 

Beginning the season in Park200 is Snapdragon Productions’ revival of Toast, the first Richard Bean play to be professionally produced on stage. Joining Matthew Kelly and Simon Greenall in the cast are Will Barton, Steve Nicholson, Finlay Robertson, Matt Sutton and John Wark. Eleanor Rhode directs.

Toast is followed by the first London revival of David Hare’s The Vertical Hour and the London première of Robert Holman’s Jonah and Otto, directed by Tim Stark. 

Matthew Kelly & Simon Greenall star in revival of Richard Bean’s Toast

Matthew Kelly & Simon Greenall

Matthew Kelly and Simon Greenall will star in a London revival of Richard Bean’s first professionally produced play, Toast.

Eleanor Rhode will direct the production which opens at the Park Theatre (Park200) on Friday 29th August (previews from 27th August).

The show runs until Sunday 21st September. Further casting will be announced shortly. 

Described as a "brilliantly observed, moving and funny play", Toast is based on the year Bean spent working in a mass production bread plant with each character inspired by someone he worked alongside.

Park Theatre to stage revival of Richard Bean's Toast

It has been announced that Eleanor Rhode will stage the first London revival of Richard Bean's Toast at the Park Theatre (Park200) later this year. 

The play, Bean’s first to be professionally produced on stage, is based on the year he spent working in a mass production bread plant as a teenager, with each character inspired by someone he worked alongside.