THIS is a play about misfits and social failures who come from a family about as dysfunctional as it gets.
Habitual gambler Brian (Shane Attwooll) and his terminally dissatisfied wife Suze (Nia Roberts) return to the familial home after the death of Brian's father, to be reunited with his depressed brother Joe (Chris Lennard) and the lodger Eddie (Oliver Ryan), who turns out to be much more than just a rentpaying student.
But this isn't a family united by its grief. Resentment, paranoia, cynicism, guilt and secrets have built up, and a series of devastating revelations, and the unwanted attentions of a bank manager named Dave, pushes them all further apart, and over the edge.
This is an impressive play for any writer to be proud of, let alone a 22-year-old graduate making her stage debut. Tracy Harris has a real grasp on the complex human relationships on show here, bringing her not very likeable characters to life with punchy dialogue and black wit.
The four-strong cast also performed well, particularly Roberts, who seemed to relish her character's inner ugliness. |
