Review: THE PLAY ABOUT MY DAD, Jermyn Street Theatre

Boo Killebrew recounts the catastrophic impact Hurricane Katrina had on her hometown in the autobiographical The Play About My Dad. Seen in Europe for the first time at Jermyn Street Theatre, the piece is a play within a play complete with flashbacks and time travel. Albeit self-indulgent at times, Killebrew manages to keep the narrative interesting and fresh but the production remains superficial, falling short acting-wise. Directed by Stella Powell-Jones, it's well-executed but feels like it's holding its breath.

Hannah Britland and David Schaal share a broken chemistry as the father-daughter duo; he takes a while to come into himself as doctor Larry Killebrew - who is cast in her play as himself - but is kept afloat by the interactions with Britland. His nudges to the audience breaking the fourth wall are redundant but pleasant, while her being condescending towards him makes sense but feels tiring and overdone.

A parallel storyline is inhabited by a young family played by T'Jai Adu-Yeboah, Annabel Bates, and Joel Lawes. The latter's portrayal of the patriarch throws them all off; while Bates and Adu-Yeboah do their best at depicting a family on the verge of tragedy, Lawes' atonal delivery is simply appalling.

The only truly bright spots of the production are Ammar Duffus and Nathan Welsh as, respectively, Kenny Tyson and Neil Plitt, two Emergency Medical Technicians. Their banter in the ambulance - where they spend their shift before being hit by the hurricane - is lively and well timed. They chat away naturally, rapidly gaining the audience's affections. Miquel Brown brings another level of storytelling as ageing as wise Essie Watson.

Powell-Jones' directorial brushstrokes are balanced but the imperfections in the acting have repercussions too big to ignore. The director sets the play to a swift pace and a defined tone, helped by Elena Peña and Ali Hunter at sound and lighting design, respectively. Blue led lights placed under the wooden pallets that create Charlotte Espiner's set convey a watery vibe but might have needed to be put to more use, as well as Peña's ambience, which only gives a light punch to the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, The Play About My Dad doesn't get the European premiere it might deserve but becomes a wonderful showcase for some of the company.

The Play About My Dad runs at Jermyn Street Theatre until 21 July.

Photo credit: Harry Livingstone

To post a comment, you must register and login.