It's 25 years since Sarah Jessica Parker became a household name in the UK, playing the "New York sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw" in TV's "Sex and the City", said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph.
Now, finally, British fans are able to "see her in the flesh", as she makes her West End debut in Neil Simon's 1968 comedy "Plaza Suite", a triptych of playlets set in the famous Manhattan hotel. The conceit of the piece is that the same suite, 719, is "successively inhabited by three sets of unhappy mid-lifers" – each played by Parker and her real-life husband Matthew Broderick. This pairing has helped turn the play into London's hottest ticket, with prices up to £300. Parker, though, is the main draw, and while it's a stretch to say "she's worth every penny", she is "terrific entertainment".
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Still, no one is really here for the play. "This is the kind of production where the audience applauds the set", and they go wild when the stars come on. Parker fans may think it is worth the entry price. Everyone else should save their money.
Savoy Theatre, London WC2 (thesavoytheatre.com). Until 13 April Running time: 2hrs 20mins ★★★
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