Review: PARENTHOOD, The Space

Having children is stressful. Sometimes it's ugly and it's definitely loud, but there's a weird kind of pleasure attached to watching a small human grow because of the love and nurture provided to them. Parenthood details the journey that goes from conception to seeing the former bundles of joy leaving the nest to face life by themselves. Husband and wife duo Emily and Peter Moody package the struggles with catchy tunes, apt humour, and well-designed jokes.

The piece could definitely be tighter and slightly smoother but, as it is, it's a funny and entertaining musical that tackles parenting landmarks and doesn't sugarcoat the pressure every mother and father have to deal with. From mum-shaming (among the mums themselves nonetheless), isolation of single fathers, Instagram-perfect families, and hatred for birthday parties, Parenthood says it like it is.

Directed by Emily Moody, its revue nature is brought out by the clear scene divisions and lack of central storyline. This straightforward direction seems to work for such a choral show: with the frustrations and anxieties being handed out to the nine actors, the Moodys turn them into universal experiences of shared dread (and, of course, happiness). The cheery, ironic songs are interwoven with heartfelt numbers about insecurity and fear.

They play with clichés and paint a (sometimes worrisome) picture of what it means to survive through parenthood. They show the nitty-gritty of what lies behind school reports (with probably the most hilarious scene in the musical's being a teacher translating what he actually meant when the parents read off their son's performance review) and how much effort it takes to shoot those effortless-looking photos where everyone seems not to be fighting with each other.

The material is tongue-in-cheek even when it's a bit chunky in its delivery. The cast is playfully real, with the couples bickering and loving each other portraying the ups and down of long-term partnership. Some debatable acting choices have been made, but it's nothing that can't be seen to in the progression of the work. For instance, the caricatural performance given by Jake Pearse throws off the otherwise genuine look, unfortunately.

The project presents all the elements for a bright future. It certainly needs some tweaks in terms of pacing and delivery but the Moodys' musical baby is growing up to be a full-fledged success.

Parenthood runs at The Space until 27 July.

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