Theatre N16 19 – 22 February. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
“We are all trying to find that little ounce of joy that makes you want to wake up the next day” – so says Will as he takes us through his day. Will’s brothers William, Willie and Jambo (family tradition to call all sons William) are introduced as complete losers, while his disengaged and bullying father (Bill) and ineffectual mother watch on. His drive to work, sanity saved only by the music of Swedish Death Candy and the unwanted attentions of awkward and fawning Charlie play out to great comic effect. Everyone except Will is a caricature, and the events that play out – especially his brothers dying are played for laughs. In between, Will addresses the audience with his ideas about happiness and what his life is all about, but he can never quite finish that last part. It’s all flippant cod philosophy that we hear spouted on daytime television, but Will seems to be clinging to it desperately.
After the death of his last brother, Will finally comes clean about everything being a lie. The truth about his life, his guilt and unhappiness pours out as he admits that he is just trying to find something to blame for how he is. He can’t, so takes drastic measures in a very abrupt ending that the audience wasn’t sure was an ending. It left you feeling slightly cheated, thinking there should have been more to come – but that was hopefully the intent, considering Will’s fate.
Set in a bathroom, with the bath acting as car, bed and goalposts, and other bathroom paraphernalia being used as props, there are whopping signposts to the ending all along, but the energy of the cast, dancing, chanting and insulting each other, keeps you hoping for a cheery ending. The quietest moments are the most interesting, especially the long pub sequence – narrated by Willie, and the only time Will is off stage. After describing Will sitting alone drinking his pint, the cast sit and chat just out of earshot, and an audience member is pulled up to dance, again chatting incoherently, transferring the isolation and confusion Will feels to the audience.
The impact of seemingly harmless lads’ banter, parental attitudes and self-judgement are treated with a light touch. The stereotypical male need to find a cause and a cure rather than accepting and learning how to cope with mental health problems was handled well, although the comic potential of Will trying to talk things through with someone he trusted was missed.
Toby Boutall’s entertaining and thought provoking debut play has great potential. Well worth a look.