Theatre review: Knock Yourself Out

Writer Tom Holloway takes on the role of Roger

Tom Holloway captures the mood of a generation with his spot on portrayal of three graduates as they struggle to find their way in life, in new play Knock Yourself Out, now on at The Courtyard Theatre, Shoreditch.

In this funny, poignant and, at times, dark play, the audience is welcomed into the front room of Roger, Jono and Billy’s student digs as the lads continue to drink, party, take drugs, and generally continue with their hedonistic student lifestyle, with its associated highs and lows, before being forced to face up to reality.   

You witness the nuances of their complicated friendships and love lives, as well as the many and varied consequences of a Jagermeister and fine wine-fuelled game of ring of fire.  It will warm your heart as it takes you back to your own student days, as you sympathise with the plight of these three young men, struggling to work out what to do next.  It may make you yearn for your student days, but a part of you will surely be glad you don’t have to return to those uncertain times.

The cast is superb, with familiar faces from This is England, Spooks, and Hollyoaks.  You can’t help but feel a soft spot for lovable Jono (Joe Sowerbutts) as his heart is played with by Carrie (Jenni Herzberg).  Roger (Tom Holloway) is central to the play, and you will find yourself simulatenously delighting and despairing at his many errors in judgement, and sympathising with his long-suffering flatmates as a result.   

The play will no doubt remind many of their university days

The graduates' love lives are laid bare in Holloway's play

Billy (Paul Tinto) is the much-needed voice of reason in this otherwise somewhat dysfunctional threesome, and the only one attempting to further his education by undertaking a master’s degree.  His brutal Scottish honesty often brings his less realistic friends back to earth with a bump, and you may well cringe as he describes in detail what happened in Amsterdam…!  Ginny (Danielle Watson) and Nicola (Lucy Telleck) enter later into the play, and a burgeoning romance between Nicola and Roger makes you wonder if he’ll be ok after all.

The intimacy of the theatre makes you feel so involved in the characters’ lives, and you can see every expression on every actor’s face as you are so close to the action.  This is an absolute must see but, top tip:  don’t take Granny, unless you are confident that she is comfortable with talk of deviant sexual behaviour and flagrant use of the c-word.

We were treated with excellent hospitality James Warren / Photoshot

Knock Yourself Out is on 7^th – 24^th March at The Courtyard Theatre, Shoreditch.  Tickets £16.50, £12.50 for concessions.

Click here for more information and to book tickets.

Written and produced by Tom Holloway, directed by Becky Catlin.

Yes, I ate the cute bunny rabbit!

It's fair to say, if you're taking a trip to Shoreditch, London, to seek a nice meal out, you're spoilt for choice.

So in that respect, my review of Lena Restaurant at 66 Great Eastern Street, left me wondering what this establishment could offer me ahead of other, rival restaurants.

In short, outstanding service, a warm and cosy feel, and delicious and varied food made my journey to the classy Italian eatery a worthwhile experience.

Unfortunately the weather didn't help with the scene shot

My visit saw me Tweeting a live restaurant review for the first time; I plan to use this means of social networking for future reviews and have received very positive feeback from it so far (follow me on reviews_live).

Head Chef, Pierre Caruana, 'will be making some exciting changes in the kitchen' we are told, so in my mind at least, the pressure was there!

First impressions of a fairly plain and demure outside are forgotten immediately on entering the porch area to be greeted by a friendly smile, and a sneak peek at an upmarket interior, with excellent lighting and a spacious dining area.

The salmon starter

On being escorted to our table, we were asked whether we wanted to hand our coats to the cloakroom - quite a rare occurence these days in central London unless you raise the topic yourself!

I decided on an antipasti to whet the appetite, the parma ham (cured for 24 months) seemed like an excellent choice - and it didn't disappoint.

Meaty parcels of one of Italy's popular imports set us perfectly for the starter.



I chose the home-cured Scottish salmon - watercress, sunblushed tomato & quail egg salad, ink mustard dressing, my partner opted for the sliced Parma ham - fresh fig, melon & passionfruit essence (obviously the antipasti went down a treat)!

I believe a food review should be critical where necessary, honest in substance, and genuine. Sadly to disappoint you from this point - there are very few negatives to come.

The salmon was fresh and lively, perfectly complemented by a juicy and appropiately crunchy salad. The quail's eggs were a nice touch, with your usual hen's eggs perhaps deemed too dominating for the size of the starter.

The Parma ham starter

The Parma ham, I was told, was very much the same as the antipasti, but more of it. A fair reflection!

For the main, I decided to be, what I thought, was brave, and I plumped for the braised Tuscan rabbit served with chargrilled baby vegetables, alongside a portion of roasted new potatoes, rosemary and garlic.

I had no preconceptions of rabbit, as it was the first time I had tried it - and this was perhaps for the best. Simply I can describe it as similar to chicken, yet much juicier and much tastier. Being more descriptive, the meat slid off the bone without falling apart on the fork and on the palate there was a desire to add to this taste sensation. The vegetables were cooked to perfection, crunchy with all the natural flavours intact and the potatoes were nicely seasoned without taking away from the earthy texture.

My partner went for the speck & pecorino wrapped chicken breast with zucchini, lemon-cream and jus. As I reached in with my fork for a 'test' I was told that I would enjoy it. And I did. Although it must be said, wherever I see chicken on a menu, I tend to swerve it and be more adventurous. However, certainly no complaints here; the chicken was thick and perfectly cooked.

The rabbit main course

The chicken main course

The only semi-criticism I might have on the mains, is that perhaps the rabbit was covered with a bit too much sauce (make your own mind up from the pictures). However, if like me you see extra sauce as advantageous for dipping the sides in, then reject this immediately!

Suitably mixed with a bottle of NV Borgo Sanleo Bianco, a fruity but dry white wine, the decision to take on a dessert was a tough one.

But we did - and decided to share a Torta Caprese - rich chocolate & almond torte, Amareto ice-cream.

The chocolate torte dessert

Now I'll be honest - of the various courses of a meal, dessert is my least favourite, however eating this Lena classic may lead me to re-evaluate that.

A large slice of 'torte' with a still-solid portion of natural ice cream rounded off the meal perfectly.

I would like to point out the superb service given to us by Gabriel - he was always on the lookout should we have any questions or requests, without being too over the top. Service with a smile, and a genuine care for his customers made our seating relaxing and pleasant

Lena Shoreditch has certainly made a superb appointment in new head chef Pierre Caruana - his experience having worked in The Eight Club in the City of London, as well as time spent in kitchens in Southern Italy give Lena a real authentic feel, with no corners cut on quality or presentation. Complimenti!!

I would very much recommend a trip to Lena Restaurant; competitive pricing, first class service and a varied and extensive menu make a visit there a must.

Scores on the doors

Setting - 8
Service - 10
Quality of food - 9
Cleanliness - 10

Total - 37/40

Click here for more information on Lena Restaurant and to book your meal there