Three Men in a Boat – Rose Theatre, Kingston

(L-R) Richard David-Caine, Jonny Weldon and Bronté Barbé in Three Men in a Boat at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. Picture: Helen Murray

Three Men in a Boat continues at the Rose Theatre, Kingston until 10 October 2026.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Even though Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat was published in 1889, it somehow manages to transcend the era and speak very clearly to readers today. Originally intended as a genuine travelogue, its comic overtones took over and this new adaptation from Al Smith, with original songs by Grant Olding, very much feeds off this vein of humour. Some liberties may have been taken with the source work, but in its genial way it tackles themes of masculinity, friendship and grief.

Smith’s take on the comedy is broad, with music hall overtones which tap into the Edwardian setting and Olding’s musical numbers amplify this. The songs aren’t narrative as such, but rather interludes that punctuate the action. Utilising styles such as syncopated ragtime, patter and list songs, the music colours the situation. Olding’s score is G&S on acid.

By way of a stag weekend for his friend Harris (Bronté Barbé), Jerome (Jonny Weldon) has rented a boat to row up the Thames from Kingston to Oxford, where the wedding is to take place. Joining them is George (Richard David-Caine), Harris’ best man and one of Jerome’s oldest pals.

Jerome sees the event as a poetic return to nature, but George believes he has other motives. Soon their friendship is stretched to the limit as the group run into all sorts of trouble from marauding swans to a hallucinogenic cheese. It’s down to Jerome’s dog Montmorency (brilliant puppetry from Calum Donald-Bruce) to save the day, and by confronting their demons rather than buttoning them down, the three eventually grow stronger as friends.

Smith’s lighthearted adaptation, tightly directed by the Rose’s artistic director Christopher Haydon, is a riot of music hall styling, strong physical comedy and broad satire. The local references are employed to great effect – the Rose is in Kingston after all – but in Barbé, Weldon, David-Caine and Donald-Bruce, Haydon has a dream team of performers, who wring every last drop of humour from the script. It’s as if Christmas has come early to the Rose and while not a pantomime, this is a show with many of panto’s credentials.

The fourth wall collapses on several occasions to great effect, drag is more than effectively employed and there are some extremely surreal elements, not least Simon Kenny’s quirky set design with its candy stripe motifs and off-kilter faux proscenium. But at its heart, this is a show about healing. Smith doesn’t shy away from addressing the issues faced by each of the men and resolution comes – eventually – with acceptance and forgiveness.

Jerome is gloriously outspoken, manipulative and devilishly lazy, but somehow Weldon’s energy drives the narrative. Harris is an eternal people pleaser who is beginning to question the prospect of his forthcoming marriage and in a neat piece of role play, Barbé uncovers the sadness within their relationship.

Finally – and perhaps most poignantly – George’s quiet cynicism masks a man still in mourning for his recently deceased wife. Each performer ably plays the consummate clown but handles the weightier themes with a deft touch.

Paul Vale