Southwark Playhouse, London – until 9 March 2019
Reviewed by Lisa Harlow
4****
We find ourselves immersed in the household of mother Tamora (Charlie Brooks) and father Martin (Simon Limpkin) in turmoil: with themselves, their son and each other. Their son, Laurence, ‘is autistic, non-verbal and occasionally violent’.
Tamora’s imbalance caused by this situation is set against the backdrop of a promising career that has been serially stymied, and a caustic marriage full of blame and resentfulness. Martin does his best to manage at home but being unable to understand how to control the triggers for his son’s behaviour and violence, mixed with the castigation of others, leads to his own outbursts of frustration and anger.
Both rely on props of drugs and alcohol…and Gary…
Amidst it all is the calm anchor, Gary (Michael Fox), the child’s care worker.
The decision to use a puppet for the role of Laurence (Hugh Purves), has attracted a lot of negative attention for ‘dehumanising’ autistic or neurodivergent people. Given the demands required of this role, the decision seemed understandable: the puppetry was well handled and integrated well into the performance. The puppet being grey-faced, however, did not enhance the puppet’s presence at all or help counter the criticisms.
The play delivered uncomfortable notions at times, for example that ‘you can love someone and wonder what it would be like if they were someone else’. Gary’s philosophisations around autistic people and animals was also a perplexing inclusion. Criticisms have been levelled at this production for not attempting to convey life through the lens of the autistic child. But this was not the premise of the play. It is based on his many years working with learning disabled adults and children, specialising in challenging behaviour. His aim was to provide us with a cross examination of the pain and self-scrutiny that comes with being parents of a child with challenging behaviour: and this is achieved.
In spite of the content, there was humour spiralled throughout, mixed within the turbulence of emotions and outbursts of violence. The acting by all performers was excellent. Brooks, in particular, brought different contrasting elements of her personality to the surface as we held hands with her whirling around in the consequences of a number of traumatic decisions she had taken.
I found how Martin dealt with his world the most repellent, but his surrender to events, his wife and her confession was completely heart-melting. This was a moving and well-delivered story.