Polar Bears, by Mark Haddon, at the Donmar Theatre

We managed to get tickets to Polar Bears by Mark Haddon at the last minute. With only standing seats available we nearly turned away, but luckily we grabbed the £7.50 stubs and took up place on the leaning rail of the standing area upstairs at the Donmar Theatre in the West End, London. However, a few people hadn’t turned up for the pre-booked seats, which had sold out before the production had started, and we were ushered downstairs to seats just feet away from the big, open stage.

Following the roller coaster lives of John (Richard Coyle) and his bi-polar wife Kay, as they struggle to keep a hold of each other when the darkness drops on their relationship, Polar Bears is far fetched, real life comic tragedy. With the presence of the overbearing mother (Celia Imrie) and the obnoxious brother, the couple never really stand a chance.

Despite the occasional overly dramatic theatrics, the performance was gripping. Darkly comic, icily tragic, shockingly surreal and fathomlessly morose, Polar Bears is a strong west end debut for Mark Haddon. Emotionally powerful, it is a glimpse into a world that is both a little alien, and disturbingly familiar.

However, the best part of the night was that out of the aftermath of the applause that rang around the Donmar at the end of the play came Mark Haddon himself, who had been sat right in front of me the whole time. How’s that for £7.50 well spent

3.9/5