Review: The Death of an English Pub Review at Tallyrand is ‘a hilarious love letter to pub culture’

What role does ‘the pub’ play in British social life?

This is the central question posed by ‘Death of an English Pub’ an innovative play by the Farewell Theatre Company.

Death of an English Pub at Tallyrand

Performed in the Talleyrand – a quintessential local in the heart of Levenshulme and the location for which the play written – the script provides a potted history via a cast of three self-described ‘northern lads’ whose warmth for each other and the subject matter shines throughout.

Taking us from the Roman invasion through the gin craze, the birth of the brewery, the 90s rave scene to today the experience created is intimate, enjoyable and has lots of genuine laughs.

The real standout is the staging which sees cast members make use of the entire pub bringing the audience into what at times feels like a conversation between friends rather than a performance.

The movement and use of space brings the material alive and stops the script from becoming a dry lecture, with audience participation (trigger warning – there’s a lot of it) becoming so infectious that by the end I felt less spectator and more cast member.

However, Death of an English Pub’s greatest strength is also in some ways its greatest weakness with the dimly lit pub and scattered cast meaning at times some dialogue gets lost, and the actors are difficult to differentiate.

Having said this the writers are aware of this shortcoming and use creative theatrical devices to ensure none of the overall narrative suffers, helped along by the fact that one of the leads speaks at the same decibel as Arthur Scargill on a picket line.

To be honest this flaw may also be my own fault having sat at the back (as far as was possible given the setting) to avoid audience participation which in any case didn’t save me.

Having to listen in to loud conversation between three men I struggle to tell apart is fairly reflective of many experiences I’ve had in English pubs so in that sense, the play does the job.

“Full of warmth and tender moments”

If at times it felt like an episode of Horrible Histories starring panel members from Mock the Week that was offset by the clear longstanding friendships of the theatre company members (who all met at Salford University nearly a decade ago) which brought an affecting warmth to some of the plays more tender moments.

Overall I’d describe this as an unpretentious and authentic evening of entertainment with the laughter from the audience proving it’s a good night out. Much is made of the working-class messaging which comes across well thanks to the down to earth credentials of the cast.

At a time when arts funding cuts have hobbled working class artists and given the backdrop of Levenshulme, about which local arguments on gentrification rage on, Death of English Pub couldn’t be more relevant.

Tickets for Death of an English Pub at Tallyrand

Death of an English Pub is on at Tallyrand in Levenshulme from Wed 9th April 2025 – Sat 12th April 2025

You can get tickets by clicking here