Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog

I was expecting something less conventional from Steven (Sherlock /Dr Who) Moffat. Though there are quite a few twists and surprises, it’s a vanilla suburban comedy, but a particularly funny one.

Peter & Debbie go on a cruise without their two teenage children, where they meet Elsa from Denver. Though they seemed to like her company (Peter in particular enjoys challenging her right wing views), they weren’t particularly keen on exchanging contact details, but they are ambushed into giving Elsa their email address. Inevitably, she turns up on their doorstep, even less welcome after a google search by Peter & Debbie uncovers a dubious past.

Her extrovert presence does pay dividends in the household, though, particularly in bringing the teenagers out of their shells (and in Alex’s case, out of the house). Then they discover they weren’t the first stop on her UK visit, raising concerns like those the internet had revealed. Her welcome is cut short, but it’s only after she has left that the whole impact of her stay is revealed.

Director Mark Gatiss’ comic staging is masterly, perhaps benefiting from his long working relationship with Moffat. It’s a terrific cast, with Frances Barber larger than life as Elsa, Reece Shearsmith laid back and understated as Peter and Amanda Abbington a more sceptical and feisty Debbie. They all display some of the best comic timing I’ve seen in a good while. Conventional maybe, hilarious certainly.