The Unfriend at Vienna’s English Theatre
(German summary below)
There are evenings in the theatre when you smile politely, appreciate the performances, and leave with a pleasant memory. And then there are evenings when you find yourself laughing so hard that you completely lose composure. The Unfriend at Vienna’s English Theatre belongs firmly in the second category.
Written by Steven Moffat, best known for his work on Sherlock and Doctor Who, the play begins with a premise that already feels wonderfully uncomfortable. Debbie and Peter, an ordinary middle-class British couple, meet the cheerful and slightly eccentric Elsa from Denver during a cruise. As happens in countless holiday encounters, they exchange pleasantries, promise to stay in touch, and assume they will never see each other again.
Unfortunately, Elsa takes such promises seriously. When she invites herself for a holiday at their house, Debbie and Peter discover that their charming new friend may in fact be connected to a suspicious number of deaths. By that point, however, British politeness has already trapped them in a situation from which there seems to be no socially acceptable escape. The hilarity of The Unfriend lies in the fact that everyone around her is incapable of behaving rudely enough to protect themselves.
If you have ever watched British romcoms, you are familiar with the rituals of the British middle class: the endless apologies, the fear of awkwardness, the inability to ask direct questions, and the desperate need to remain civil even when common sense has long left the room. The plot thrives on this kind of ingrained politeness. What begins as a social comedy gradually escalates into something much darker, stranger, and considerably funnier.
This is pure farce in the best British tradition. The audience around me spent much of the act alternating between laughter and disbelief. Whether the story is plausible or not is beside the point. Moffat is interested in exposing how ridiculous people become when social conventions matter more than reality.
Much of the production’s success rests on the cast’s impeccable sense of timing. Basienka Blake is particularly memorable as Elsa, balancing warmth, an unnerving lack of self-consciousness, and something quietly unsettling in a performance that keeps the audience guessing throughout. Daphne Kouma and Jack Gogarty work beautifully as the increasingly overwhelmed Debbie and Peter, capturing every nuance of middle-class panic and social discomfort. Joe Bruce and Maia Elsey as typical teenagers, Mark Payton as the pesky neighbour, and Charlie Tripp as unsuspecting policeman, complete the ensemble with equal precision, seamlessly shifting between comedy and chaos as the farcical machinery accelerates. Not a single performance feels out of place, and the cast’s collective commitment to the absurdity of the situation is what allows the play’s darkest jokes to land so effectively.
Beneath the black comedy lies a surprisingly sharp observation: social rules are useful until they stop us from saying what needs to be said. The play simply pushes that idea to its most absurd conclusion.
Dark, clever, wonderfully British, and genuinely hilarious, The Unfriend is one of the funniest productions I have seen in quite some time. If you appreciate sharp dialogue, escalating chaos, and humour so dry it practically requires a cup of tea, this is an evening well spent.
Sometimes the most dangerous thing in the room is not a possible serial killer. Sometimes it is good manners.
The Unfriend
by Steven Moffatuntil 4 July 2026, Monday to Saturday, 7:30 pm
Vienna’s English Theatre
Josefsgasse 12
1080 Vienna, Austria
The Unfriend – Wenn Höflichkeit lebensgefährlich wird
Eine satirische Theaterkomödie, die Lachen garantiert: The Unfriend im Vienna’s English Theatre. Steven Moffat (Sherlock, Doctor Who) nimmt die sprichwörtliche britische Höflichkeit genüsslich auseinander und macht daraus eine rabenschwarze Farce voller absurder Wendungen.
Debbie und Peter lernen auf einer Kreuzfahrt die freundliche, etwas exzentrische Elsa kennen. Was als harmlose Urlaubsbekanntschaft beginnt, entwickelt sich schnell zum Albtraum, als Elsa sich bei ihnen als Urlaubsgast ankündigt und Hinweise auftauchen, dass sie möglicherweise mit mehreren Todesfällen in Verbindung steht. Doch die Angst vor Unhöflichkeit ist größer als der Selbsterhaltungstrieb.
Die Inszenierung lebt von pointierten Dialogen, perfektem Timing und einem Ensemble, das jede Nuance zwischen sozialem Unbehagen und eskalierendem Chaos auskostet. Besonders Basienka Blake überzeugt als ebenso charmante wie beunruhigende Elsa. Unter dem Humor verbirgt sich eine treffende Beobachtung über gesellschaftliche Regeln und die Frage, was passiert, wenn Höflichkeit wichtiger wird als Vernunft.
Dunkel, intelligent, urbritisch und ausgesprochen komisch: The Unfriend gehört zu den unterhaltsamsten Theaterabenden der aktuellen Saison.
Aufführungen finden in englischer Sprache statt!
All rehearsal photos on Viennacultgram.com are my own.
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