Doughnut Drive at Drayton Arms Review
Written by Eloise for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This production has content warnings of grief, sensitive language, violence, and references to depression.
Doughnut Drive by Finella Waddilove, is a fun filled, energetic two hander packed full of punches and punchlines following two friends on their misadventures. Whilst adrenaline-fuelled, the play does a great job of handling deeper topics such as grief.
We follow Yaz (Finella Waddilove) and Bex (Sarah Parkins), best friends from childhood as they navigate a precarious situation that Bex has landed them in whilst driving for a late-night McDonald’s on the last night of her driving ban. Yaz, the lighter of the two characters, is newly addicted to her Friday night film club – and uses her love of doughnuts and her knowledge of film to assist her friend in evading the police, and delivering a mysterious briefcase to a notorious gangster…
The plot reads like a film, right? But this play is pure theatrics through and through. From slow motion chase scenes, to miming a high-speed getaway, Waddilove and Parkins do a fantastic job of bringing the adrenaline of an action movie to the stage. Both actors are strong and hold the audience in the palm of their hands for the show which runs for just over an hour without an interval. Although some pacing problems near the start of the play, the two find their feet pretty quickly as we get to the inciting incident.
The characters are delightfully contrasting, which forms a playful dynamic on stage – never sure if Bex will kick off at Yaz’s next attempt to coin cockney rhyming slang, or if she will laugh along. Parkin’s portrayal of the uptight, grieving daughter, was thoughtful and sensitive – whilst not taking itself too seriously, making a wonderfully watchable haunted character. Waddilove has created a brilliantly silly Yaz, who is both absolutely oblivious, yet all seeing at the same time. Yaz is the comedic relief of the play, and comes out with some hilarious punchlines, however not all of them landed due to the context of the scenes. The jokes can feel a little non-stop, which is characteristic of Yaz, but this does get a bit much for the audience in particular moments when Bex is dealing with the heavier topics.
The relationship between the two characters was slightly unclear at the beginning of the play, I wasn’t sure if they were just friends, or sisters, or half-sisters perhaps. The very first scene got me thinking that Yaz was trying to buy a car from Bex! There are some directorial choices which could clear up these moments of confusion for the audience. When the writer is also the director and performer it can be difficult to look at a performance with a completely objective eye – and I think the production falls in moments due to this. Such as in the characters relationship which seems stronger in writing than it is physically on stage, and in some moments of pacing. Waddilove is a powerhouse having written, directed, and performed in Doughnut Drive, however an external eye in the direction may help align the play to be even stronger.
Overall this play is hilarious, dark, and energetic – if you love film, especially those with gangsters and chase scenes, this is definitely worth a watch! You’ll be purely swept away in an escapist theatrical wave. A special mention must also go to the sound designer, Cameron Pike, who was excellent – never missing a beat in the construction of some complex sound design. The play is pretty much constantly underscored, never overpowering the actors, but adding to the dramatic effect – making the play feel even more cinematic. This is a real piece of successful pub theatre where it is clear the team work well together and have constructed something really exciting, fresh, and dynamic.
Doughnut Drive is playing 25-29th November 2025 at The Drayton Arms Theatre
★ ★ ★ ★
