Fresh off well-lauded runs in London and the  Brighton Fringe, Wrap Party (You Guys Productions)  is  writer and director Harry Petty’s fast-paced, humorous two-hander promising to shine a light on the side of showbiz at whom most don’t take a second sniff: the caterers.

The play follows Harry (Harry Warren) and Ollie (Ollie Hart) on a day running their catering truck serving sausage rolls to the stars. Harry is downbeat following the breakup of his engagement, and poo-poos Ollie’s naive dreams of stardom. Both are tested with their commitment to their business and each other over the course of the drama as they  are tempted with offers to take their talents elsewhere. Along the way we meet a cast of colourful composite characters, from clip-board wielding safety inspectors, to obnoxious European directors, as well as a nudge-nudge allusion to an American action star who’s a member of a certain controversial religious group. 

Hart is the heart here. He leaps across the stage with an Artful Dodger-esque swagger, winking and nodding at the audience to keep them on his side. All the roles in Wrap Party are shared, and Hart especially switches effortlessly between roles, with clear physical and vocal delineations, culminating in a  breathtaking scene near the end where he juggles five different characters at once. You can feel the audience in the room willing Hart to bring it all home, and he does so remarkably. Warren’s performance is natural and assured. There isn’t a second where you don’t believe him in any of his roles. As Harry he is wry and cynically distant, with hints of a deeper, more sensitive side that eventually bubbles to the surface in a heartbreaking outburst. There are occasions where his more understated delivery jars with Hart’s bombast, but by and large the duo complement each other.

Wrap Party’s premise, based on Harry and Ollie’s real life experiences, borrows from the likes of Extras, though it doesn’t quite balance the dichotomy of downtrodden humdrummery versus wacky capers as deftly as Gervais and Co. The play’s wobbles come from when it deviates from its honest roots in preference for well-trodden narrative beats and cartoonish side characters. Where it shines is as a showcase for this young duo’s  talents which, whilst at times seeming to reside in entirely different plays, are bright in equal measure. Warren and Hart are definitely ones to  watch, and we can only hope they’re able to hang up the aprons soon to commit to their acting careers full time (though not before I’ve tried one of those tasty sounding sausage rolls).

Wrap Party is at Mint Studio at Greenside @ George Street until Sat 15 Aug 2026