“An old-fashioned drinking-and-fighting play…Playwright Betts interprets this tried-and-true genre better than most, while a top-notch production sends it over the top. The result is a night of laughter through clenched jaws, the kind that could only come from the recognition of something that hits a little too close to home…You may wince in recognition of the inhabitants of Muswell Hill — perhaps one of them even looks like you. You'll definitely laugh, if only out of uncanny discomfort.”
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"If ‘Muswell Hill’ tends to lecture rather than entertain, there is pleasure to be had in the crack ensemble, who mine every bit of the script's humor…Betts is clearly a talented writer. But this effort isn't sufficiently satirical or mordant to indict a way of life. It's just a really bad night out for six people, most of whom you'd cross the street to avoid. Chances are, you'll occasionally find them very funny, but my guess is you won't give a hoot about them.”
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“The play's central purpose is to expose the hypocrisy of the presumably charitable liberal upper-middle class...Patterson does a generally good job balancing the play's twists and turns with the larger social themes. The cast is overall quite strong, and the actors push the characters to the brink of caricature without going over even when the play becomes a bit too farcical in Act Two...The space, however, poses some difficulty for both the audience and performers."
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“A play with interesting, well-played characters and a well-structured plot that holds your attention throughout but still doesn't seem to have or make its point with clarity...There is never a dull moment...All the actors have carved out distinct images of very real, if conflicted, people under the fine direction of Patterson. I hope we get to see more from this provocative playwright.”
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"The dinner party from hell is a tried and true theatrical device. Playwright Torben Betts takes full advantage of its potential...And while he does it most entertainingly, with a rapier sharp wit, there’s much food for thought...Director Patterson does a wonderful job of keeping the pace going...She keeps the audience eagerly waiting for the next shoe to drop without ever letting our interest wander for a moment. And the cast rides the line nicely between comedy and drama.”
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“Often-trenchant…Betts has written some effective scenes (staged deftly by director Shannon Peterson), exposing the narrowness of these people’s lives…But I left the play not entirely sure about what all it was meant to add up to. Part of the problem is that the characters are almost uniformly unlikeable…On the plus side, the production boasts a talented cast, delivering performances that are well worth catching.”
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"Much of this should zing us sharply but Shannon Patterson's unexceptional production-on a wide, shallow thrust placed along one of the long walls in the small, rectangular venue-muffles the zingers. The audience laughed often but little of the humor landed where I was sitting… Insufficiently dynamic acting and interplay, often inaudible dialogue, and staging that favors two of the three sides surrounding the stage are of no help in hiding weaknesses.”
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“Betts is a splendid observer. Every character feels authentic, every conversation true to its sources...Caveats are few. I found the piece one disposable scene too long and object to musically accompanied blackouts after every scene which impedes innate flow. We’re AT that party and should feel as trapped as its diners. I assume this was a decision made by Patterson who otherwise does a simply marvelous job...The entire cast is terrific.”
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