Bas Vegas meets Sloane Square

Who'd have thought Basildon would be enjoyed by the chattering classes in Chelsea? It's had the Hollywood roundabout, Depeche Mode, Alison Moyet, James Tomkins… and now Basildon is high art. Went to see In Basildon at the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square on Friday, a play about a feuding Basildon family gathered around the death bed of Len, a fanatical Hammers fan. David Eldridge's play has a good ear for Essex dialogue, and numerous Essex references including Len, a character who moved the original to Laindon plot lands before the new town was built. Plus lots of West Ham material.There's a chorus of Bubbles in Len's death bed scene, a reference to Frank McAvennie's possible love child, Barry wearing a Hammers shirt at the funeral and a comment of "Avram Grant, more like Avram can't!" as Barry receives news of another defeat on his iPhone. It's a funny, non patronising play about working class life and well worth seeing.