Don’t Rock the Boat
The Mill at Sonning
until 6th September
Set against the backdrop of the 1990s—a time of chunky phones, dubious fashion, and sharp political undercurrents—Robin Hawdon’s Don’t Rock the Boat floats into view as a nostalgic yet sharply observed comedy that steers straight into themes of family dysfunction, morality, and local political corruption.
The story unfolds aboard Bunty, a converted riverside barge belonging to Arthur Bullhead, a self-made property developer with a plan: to win over local planning chairman John Coombes and secure a dream development deal. But instead of a formal setting, Arthur invites Coombes and his seemingly perfect family aboard for a weekend “getaway” that quickly begins to wobble under the weight of ulterior motives, social mismatch, and family mayhem.
Steven Pinder is a riot as Arthur Bullhead – equal parts charming, bullish, and maddeningly unaware. At times you want to throw him overboard, and that’s precisely the point. His long-suffering wife Mary and rebellious daughter Shirley complete a family that feels like it’s held together with duct tape. Loo roll falls from cupboards, After Eights appear in the bread bin, steak is served with petit pois ‘a la Birds Eye’ and gallons of whisky fuel an evening of forced hospitality and unintended revelations.
In contrast, the Coombes family arrive with impeccable manners, a shy daughter Wendy, and a sense of calm that is immediately at odds with the Bullheads’ high-octane dysfunction. But as the weekend unfolds – and Shirley leads Wendy to the local village disco – surface impressions fade. The two girls, polar opposites at first glance, find common ground in teenage rebellion and the lure of something new.
Director Sally Hughes uses the theatre’s unique riverside setting to full advantage. The stunning set design literally brings water onto the stage, blurring the line between inside and out. It’s both beautiful and practical, as the actors nimbly navigate the physical challenges of life on a boat—adding authenticity and occasional slapstick to an already lively production.
Act 1 ends with a splash, and we dive straight into the foggy, hungover aftermath of Act 2. As morning light creeps in, so too do moments of introspection. Carol Coombes, beautifully played by Rachel Fielding, begins to question her family’s carefully curated image, revealing cracks beneath the polished surface as she grapples with her own insecurities and desires.
While Don’t Rock the Boat is undoubtedly a comedy—fast-paced, chaotic, and often laugh-out-loud—it also has genuine heart. There’s emotional weight behind the punchlines, especially in its exploration of gender roles, power, and the blurred lines between right and wrong.
Hawdon’s writing, grounded in theatrical experience both on and off the stage, keeps the action bubbling along without losing sight of its deeper themes. The result is a sharply observed, thoroughly entertaining piece that speaks to both the era it’s set in and today’s moral ambiguities.
Don’t Rock the Boat is playing at The Mill in Sonning until 6th September.
Reviewer: Klara Kalllis