‘The Cottage’ Review: Failed Farce (Broadway)
Females may get the upper hand, but the audience is dealt a deck of duds in the tiresome farce, "The Cottage."
Broadway’s latest comedy, The Cottage (★☆☆☆☆) shows great promise — at least from a visual perspective. Set designer Paul Tate DePoo III gives audiences much to chatter about as they file into the Helen Hayes Theater. At first glance, the painted front curtain depicts a traditional, English country scene: gorgeous flowers, vegetable gardens, stone paths, sprawling green, and an idyllic, quiet home.
Look closer. Notice the wild animals humping, the buff gardener, clad shirtless in a pair of overalls in the distance, and the bra dangling from a tree. It’s all rather cheeky and indicative of the crazy sex antics that will occur once the curtain goes up.
If only they were funny.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t a few hearty chuckles to be had. But few they are. By the end of the first act, we are left completely exhausted by what has just unfolded — and it’s only been an hour. We are further drained by the thought of slogging through yet another hour of this tedium.
Set in 1923, you’d think this drawing room piece was written ages ago by an old, white, dead British playwright and that this is a revival. In fact, it is an original script written by contemporary playwright Sandy Rustin.
It premiered 10 years ago and has been produced a few times regionally before making a move to Broadway. It has the feel of Noel Coward, Agatha Christie, and Oscar Wilde — minus the wit or sensibility. What makes The Cottage different is the grit and determination given to the female characters.
Rustin explained recently to the New York Times that she’s “a huge fan of that whole genre of upper-crust British style, but the female characters often leave much to be desired. They’re often just there to serve the men. I was interested in finding a way into that genre where the women ruled the roost.”
Indeed, there is a feminist twist laced into this silliness. To explain further would be ruining the surprise for those interested in seeing it. (You’ve been warned.) But it’s fair to say that, in the end, leading lady Sylvia Van Kipness (Laura Bell Bundy) has much more agency over her destiny than the majority of her peers from that era.
When we first meet Sylvia, she is eagerly waiting for her lover and brother-in-law, Beau (Eric McCormack), to finish showering. Both are madly passionate about one another, and they’ve escaped to a quiet home outside of London to engage in their annual dalliance.
The problem, of course, is that each of them is married: Beau to Marjorie (Lilli Cooper) and Sylvia to Clarke (Alex Moffat). Essentially, there’s a bunch of adulterated swinging going on here. When two other guests are unexpectedly added to the mix, even more hijinks unfold.
But it all grows tiresome quickly and goes on way too long — especially when the debonair Beau resorts to fighting off a possible murderer with a set of antlers and a mounted swordfish. If that weren’t enough, we’re later subjected to a lengthy flatulence bit that Cooper is unfortunately tasked to portray. The Tony nominated actress was wonderful in Broadway’s POTUS, Tootsie, and even SpongeBob SquarePants. She’s equally good in this, too, and is making the most of a dire show.
After the final curtain falls, questions linger. First, how did this show make it to Broadway in the first place? With several regional productions already under its belt, it’ll likely continue to be staged at smaller venues. But it’s simply not Broadway-quality playwriting. Although it’s hard to imagine this material at the mercy of a less skilled cast, the fine professionals in this version are strenuously trying to make it work. Producers most likely anticipated that McCormack’s Will & Grace connection would be a box office draw. Moffat is also a recognizable face, having been on Saturday Night Live for six years before departing in 2022.
The second question to ponder: Why cast the entire show with American actors when the play takes place in England? A feigned British accent is fine, so long as it is done well and doled out in small doses. But with all the frenzy going on here, the accents are often inconsistent.
Jason Alexander, best known as George Costanza from Seinfeld, makes his Broadway directorial debut, which is also a surprise. Alexander has extensive stage and comedy credits. Why he agreed to this as a vehicle for his first attempt is truly a mystery. Like the cast, he’s doing what he can with the inane script.
There are those who will eat this up and laugh until their sides hurt. Seasoned theatergoers on the other hand will look at their watch and wish they hadn’t just blown two hours and their money — especially with so much more fun to be had in New York City.
The Cottage is playing through Oct. 29 at the Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th St. in New York City. Tickets are $58 to $195.50. Visit www.thecottageonbroadway.com.
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