Dealer's Choice
At the Donmar, this revival of Patrick Mather’s play about masculinity, gambling,and fathers and sons is sharp and properly funny, although all versions of these men are lying to themselves as well as everyone else Women are hardly relevant in this at all as the men banter and argue and their different relationships and motivations are uncovered. Stephen (Daniel Lapaine) owns a restaurant and runs a Sunday night poker night after hours for his staff but really as a way of connection with his gambling addicted son, Carl (a fragile Kasper Hilton-Hille). Meanwhile Chef Sweeney (Theo Barklem-Biggs)knows he has a gambling problem and tries to resist so he can spend his money with his daughter. Frankie (Alfie Allen) is cocky and a bad loser but wants to become a professional poker player. Ash (Brendan Coyle in his tough guy mode) is an already a professional gambler and second father figure to Carl , although we find that he is proba...