Lewis Buxton wants a friend. More specifically, he wants a best friend – an unbreakable, unstoppable, transcendent connection with the one true companion.
That, at least, is the premise of his latest show Friend, a suggested autobiographical account of his move to Norwich aged 26, and the search for a buddy better than any that had gone before.
Given his age, and presumably writing the show around the time that Matt Perry died, TV sitcom Friends comes into the fray, with Buxton repeatedly referring back to the relationship between Chandler and Joey – the bromance of the 90s.
Just like finding love in unexpected places, Lewis’ own breakthrough comes via Facebook Marketplace, where a chance spark over Norwich City FC brings him the whisper of a thrill. Could this be The One Where Lewis Makes a Friend?
Buxton is a talented wordsmith and there are some lovely set pieces in his storytelling. They range from the gloriously silly – a football team comprised entirely of people called Matt and a torrent of puns resulting from that – to rapid-fire, tense and unsettling explorations of OCD.
He is also a captivating performer; he brings a warmth to the stage that embraces you with a twinkle and a smile. His calm voice and outward confidence are a metaphorical, er, welcome mat.
There are also plenty of jokes, many of which resonate louder in this performance at Norwich Theatre Stage Two in his adopted hometown, than maybe the case elsewhere on the tour. It’s a funny and touching tale.
The show, however, feels a bit too smooth. We reach a point of jagged edges in the story and Buxton pulls back, restoring a tidy order that might work for a 23-minute sitcom plot but that feels oddly polished for a show that talks a lot about vulnerability and mess.
While that conceit is acknowledged, the explanation – the writer’s trick of elision – doesn’t wholly convince either. Without wanting to give too much away, we find that Buxton really has many friends.
It’s heart warming – and not entirely surprising – but it does rather uncut the premise.
- Friend was at Norwich Theatre Stage Two on 25 October 2024, then touring nationally
