Richard E. Grant and Anthony Head star in Otherwise Engaged at the Criterion Theatre in London, in a revival of a play written by Simon Gray and directed by Simon Curtis.

Richard E. Grant is, of course, well known to us here at Funny.co.uk as the star of Withnail and I, amongst his many other projects, and co-starring with Anthony Head makes an entertaining double act when they share the stage. He plays Simon Hench, a well-off yet somewhat detached man who is merely trying to settle down and listen to some Wagner on a pleasant afternoon. However, his detachment is about to be broken by a succession of interruptions...

The play is quite simple in structure. One room serves for the whole show, with only two doors on the left hand side for entrances and exits. The set is as ordinary as you can imagine someone with a lot of money would make his house look. The enjoyment lies in the characters that come to interrupt, annoy, accuse and confuse Simon Hench over the course of his afternoon.

In true British style, the interruptions are almost immediate. Barely has the door shut than it's opening again. If it's not Anthony Head's intellectual drunk, Hench's wife - played with great intensity and purpose by Amanda Drew or David Bamber's old school friend, then what they have said and done conspires to keep Hench from doing anything at all.

Grant plays Hench with supreme detachment. His performance is both the best and worst thing about the show, because it's very difficult to relate to a character who doesn't appear to care for anything. Grant plays Hench as simply wanting his life to continue as it is, and as such we never really get under his skin to understand the character.

However, the show is extremely tight, witty and funny and not without it's surprises and shocks. It runs until January the 28th, and is well worth a look for fans of Mr Grant or Mr Head.