Spacey and Goldblum hailed as ‘greatest double act’ in Mamet play

The London theatre has a new hit show on its hands - David Mamet's play Speed the Plow, starring two Hollywood actors, Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey, at the Old Vic. The critics are ecstatic this morning, Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph calling the casting inspired: "Goldblum and Spacey offer one of the greatest double acts I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing, right up there with Lemmon and Matthau, Morecambe and Wise, and Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday."

Benedict Nightingale in the Times writes: "Nobody with the least interest in acting should miss the snap and crackle, whizz and fizz of, in particular, their opening scene."

Speed the Plow is Mamet's satire on Hollywood greed and triviality. It provides, as Nightingale puts it, "two super roles for men able to cope with his [Mamet's] brash, breathless dialogue". Goldblum plays the head of production at a Hollywood studio, while Spacey plays the coked-up independent producer who thinks he has a script and a star that will make his fortune.

The English actress Laura Michelle Kelly (pictured above, between Goldblum and Spacey), acclaimed for her Mary Poppins in the West End, plays the temporary secretary, the role taken by Madonna when the play premiered in 1988.

Spencer concludes his review: "The charismatic brilliance of Spacey and Goldblum, and the subtle radiance of Kelly, silence all niggling criticism of Mamet's brilliant but flawed script. There's no doubt: the Old Vic has an absolute blast of a smash hit on its hands."