We are used to seeing unlikely friendships on screen. Think The Odd Couple. Bert and Ernie. You get the point. The Unfriend draws on this tradition and adds a culture clash involving an unexpected, and at times unwelcome, houseguest with some darkly funny results.
Under Simon Phillips’ (STC’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) direction, this play had its Australian premiere in Sydney recently. Steven Moffat, who may be familiar to audiences as a TV writer who has worked on Sherlock and Doctor Who, has written a play inspired by some true events. However, just how much this borrows from real life is debatable given the star of the show is a suspected serial killer!
Middle-class English couple the Lindels (Alex Lee and Tim Walter) are holidaying on a cruise ship when they meet the brashly confident American widow, Elsa Jean Krakowski, played by the formidable Helen Thomson. The Brits are friendly and make promises to stay in touch while the latter follows through by ingratiating herself into their lives. Never mind that Elsa is a suspected murderer, as we learn from Morgan Moroney’s brilliant tabloid-esque projections. The stage is set: the killer will stay with the English couple, whose politeness stops them from vetoing the invitation, and their annoying teenage children (Ty Arnott and Brooklyn Davies).
Moffat has written most of the characters as comic figures, with barely a straight foil in sight, which can leave a bit of a hole in proceedings. Tim Walter’s Peter is at times quite Basil Fawlty-like in his mannerisms and physicality. This is certainly the case in a sequence involving trying to use his mother as an excuse, where he manages to land both feet squarely in his mouth.
Thomson steals her scenes, partly because she delivers some clever zingers, including excellent wordplay poking fun at the pesky allegations she faces. Elsa’s arrival in this English family’s home has an odd impact on them all. This Black Widow-meets-Mary Poppins figure actually brings out better aspects of the family’s personalities. Someone learns to become a fitness fanatic. Another becomes more thoughtful. It all sounds good in theory, but the characters continue questioning whether she is capable of murder despite her charisma and positive influence.
Rounding out the cast are Huw Higginson playing a boring neighbour who appears from time to time to deliver some passive aggression and queries about a retaining wall, while Ben Wood plays PC Junkin, a rather gruff policeman. In the second act, the comedy veers away from the witty to rather crude toilet humour. This show offers quite a breadth of jokes, from physical gags through to more cerebral ones, and that means it will not appeal to everybody. But you can’t deny that most people will walk away having had a good, hearty chuckle at the proceedings.
Designer Isabel Hudson delivers a masterful and stunning set. It evokes an English country house while also leaving space for the stunning videos to be projected to the audience. Nick Schlieper also does an excellent job on lighting. A minor disappointment, however, is the long blackouts between acts.
The Unfriend is ultimately a show with a great premise, because who hasn’t been in an unwanted situation where politeness rules over more practical matters? At its best, this is a clever comedy of manners that we can all relate to. And on that note, who hasn’t met people on holiday with good intentions to stay in touch yet limited follow-through? This is definitely relatable in its approach.
This play may be a little overlong, but ultimately, it delivers a jolly good British farce. The Unfriend looks at what can happen when overwhelming politeness comes up against a would-be killer and cultures clash. This is a play with a little something for everyone to laugh at, and I think we can all agree that that’s something we can all do with right now.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Sydney Theatre Company’s The Unfriend plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre until 31 October. For more information head HERE.
Reviewer attended 5th October 2026
Photo by: Prudence Upton.
