Soho Theatre – until 30 March 2019
Review by Elizabeth J Smith
5*****
Angry Alan is a strong piece of writing looking at how masculinity in modern men is being eroded by the feminist movement. In the good old days men went to work and provided for their family, they could complement a woman on her appearance, be chivalrous in their actions without fear of redress. But the advent of feminism and woman stepping out from kitchen men are having to fight harder to be heard. Divorced men struggle to connect with children they rarely see. Redundancy takes away a mans purpose to get up each day. Is it any wonder that male suicide is on the up?
Donald Sage Mackay who plays Roger, portrays this broken middle aged man who is looking for something to make him feel proud to be a man again, with great vigour and verve. With a simple set of a chair and a back drop screen showing different social media chats and interviews from some sharp talking men keeps the pace of this play fast and punchy.
The writing by Penelope Skinner is extremely observant of man’s plight in today’s society. A society that has become increasingly reliant on social media for information just seems to confuse more than inform many men. Questions of what men are about in our modern world and how young man are supposed to learn how to be men are asked and ends with a shocking answer.
This piece has humour and sentiment and leaves you thinking about how equal can men and women be as really they are two different species. A thought provoking play well worth a visit