Right Honourable Member is the story of a girl who, in order to get an internship with the Labour Party, must successfully deliver a speech to model Parliament in a debate about gay marriage rights. Her whole future success (we later learn) hinges upon that very moment. She fails miserably. So, as you do, she hires a male escort to come around her hotel room.
At first, it is very unclear where this whole thing is going as, when the escort arrives, they just start talking instead of, you know. The dialogue is hardly credible; it is written to be purposefully witty and therefore comes across as fake as the quick exchanges in an American TV series. The acting, which tends to be somewhat melodramatic - especially on the part of the girl - does nothing to help the situation. Moreover, the relationship created between these two strangers - more often than not they sound like an old couple - simply does not generate the desired humour. If this is meant to be a satirical look at a young girl whose whole life revolves around getting this internship and studying PPE at Oxford, then it does not come across. If, on the other hand, we are meant to take this seriously, the unrealistic script in combination with a tendency to overact make it almost impossible. Funny moments of the play are lost on an audience that does not really laugh - except a little bit, sometimes.
It is a shame that this whole thing doesn’t work, because it’s definitely not without potential. There are times when the acting and script blend perfectly to create an effect that has a specific target. However, overall the purpose behind this piece is blurred and you are left wondering what the hell you are supposed to be feeling about these characters on stage.
