Something To Do With Bolivian Affairs – 30 October 2025, University Drama Studio
Review by Claire Taranaski.
Having the 60 year record for the most tickets sold for a Sheffield University Theatre Company (SUTCo) opening night, their new play Something To Do With Bolivian Affairs, written by company member Matthew Heppell, rightfully deserved it and can be described as many things, all of them added up to superb theatre.
A contemporary Abigail’s Party that will be timeless as long as “Bake Off” is on our screens, a political satire, a farce, all combined perfectly in a play that I can see performed at theatres across the country for decades to come but that as audience members we were have the privilege to see and be delighted by on it’s opening night, this is a show not to be missed by those who love theatre and want to support new comedic writing.
The concept of six people at a party being a plot for a theatre show, in this case a a birthday party whilst a war in a South American country rages off stage, might not feel something new but a combination of Matthew’s writing and his directing, assisted by James Platt, who both get the very best out of a great cast and a venue they know well, takes it up many levels and reminds us while this theatrical concept works.
I mention the all superb cast, who maintain their upper class and in the case of barman Pepe, Bolivian accents throughout, bringing their individual characters wonderfully to life from host Ella Lang (Abbie Wright) the not quite as wonderfully innocent as her peace lily; the divorcee at the centre of the love triangle Jane Myers (Eden Houlberg); the ambitious, controlling and disingenuous MP wife Liz Doubt (Abby Broido) performed with a hint of a young Kirstie Allsopp; the useless MP who lives up to his surname Arthur Doubt (Deji Williams); and the both feeling a slight modern update on Harry Enfield’s Tim Nice But Dim, birthday boy Miles Myers (Toma Hoffman) and Jane Myers’ ex-husband Joseph Lang (Luke Hookham); not forgetting the all listening, all knowing, sarcastic bar man Pepe (Roberto Rowinski).
In a production of wonderfully cast characters one deserves a special mention and proves, as in the early 00s sitcom “Coupling” that if you are called Jane you have to be at the centre of attention, Eden’s performance was perfectly outstanding and it was hard to take your eyes off her, with a voice that reminded me of Georgia Tennant she had incredible stage presence, warmth, charisma, chemistry, personality and comic timing even when rolling herself up in a carpet. If this production ever goes on tour it must be with the demand that Eden has to keep playing the character as no one would be able to match her. I must also give an extra mention to Deji Williams who brought so much warmth and likeability to his character who would not be out of place as an MP on “The Thick Of It” and with what I can only describe as “Phone Rage” took him to a new level that means I can’t wait to see what Deji does next.
The above makes out that this is a play all about individual characters but that would never work and what this play does best is bring them together and in a stand out show the extra stand out moments come from a cast who have connected perfectly with each other, from Jane and Joseph escaping out the bathroom window; Miles and Joseph’s fight in the bar (think Colin Firth and Hugh Grant’s fight in Bridget Jones’ Diary turned up five notches and with a dart board); to Ella and Jane’s screaming argument, these are all moments of theatrical gold which will stay with the audience for a long time. Another theatre trait that audiences will recognise from panto is the chase sequence around the theatre curtain and this play wonderfully fits the idea into the story and makes it their own, confirming the respect the company has for all theatre genres.
Backstage I must also congratulate everyone involved in the set design, who would know toilets could be so central to a plot; make-up for realistically creating the range of injuries that build up and combat chorographer CJ Simon, especially for the fight mentioned above.
P.S. To read our interview with Matthew Heppell and James Platt about the play click here.
