Park Theatre, London – Until 1st September 2018.
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
3***
This is a predictable, not unfamiliar storyline. The benefit of that is believable characters. Kevin Tomlinson’s Mark, slipped in and out of good guy bad guy effortlessly. He was the epitome of victim become perpetrator. Abigail Hood portrayed Leah’s vulnerability and quiet optimism beautifully. Her character was taught to be a victim early on in life, desperate for a father figure, smart enough to want something more and didn’t know how to do that. Tom (Adam Morris), a Dad torn apart by the disappearance of his beloved daughter, is trying to make sense of a bad situation. Morris plays him convincingly as a lost soul that cares too much. Gill (Tracey Wilkinson), a mother who is wounded to the core, has lost trust even in her own judgement. Wilkinson overplayed the part but gave welcome relief to an otherwise bland dialogue. Tom and Leah find in one another the missing parts, father and daughter, that helps begin to heal their lives, and somehow things make more sense when they are around each other. Unfortunately it makes absolutely no sense to anyone else, who all believe the worst of their relationship.
The minimal props gave just enough detail to build the picture of living room, sea front, cafe etc
The moving about of the stripped back set was a little clumsy at times. The boxes could at least have grip handles for easier repositioning.
There is a fine balance between producing a play that is believable, realistic and over simplifying the dialogue. Abigail Hood has done a good job of bringing the characters to life, however some of the richness has been taken out of the dialogue by keeping it too real. The audience knows this story, it has been repeated many times over. That doesn’t detract from the necessity to keep telling it, but it does mean you have got to give people a reason to see this version.