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The painful path of age The Father
Malvern Theatres
**** DEMENTIA is a tough subject to address at
any time and this provocative, intelligent piece of theatre doesn't shy
away from the awkward agony of such an illness. Although brief, it's an unforgettable
award-winning play that haunts you well after leaving the theatre. It
gradually grows more uncomfortable over 90 minutes, particularly for
anyone with ageing parents. Writer Florian Zeller takes the audience into the
disorientated mind of dementia patient Andre by juxtaposing snapshots of
his relationship with his daughter Anne in varying time order. Much of it doesn't seem logical, like missing
furniture and changing actors, until it suddenly all clicks into place
towards the final scenes.
Claire Skinner, taking a break from starring as
the hard-done-by mother in BBC1's Outnumbered is the hard-done-by
daughter in The Father. She's a study in a woman slowly losing her
patience and composure. This French piece of theatre has been translated
by Christopher Hampton and thankfully it doesn't lose the essence of
such a challenging, emotional topic. Although, while it may be described as a black
comedy, there are very few laughs, and it would be more pertinent to put
it in the category of an emotional family drama. Zeller, has been
described as ‘one of the hottest
literary talents in France’.
The Father,
originally titled Le Père ,
was the recipient of three Molière Awards in
2014, including for Best New Play. When describing this work, Zeller said he wanted
the audience to "become lost in this mental labyrinth - so as to
experience more completely, from the inside, the tragedy of old age". He has definitely achieved that, and although it
sometimes makes for difficult viewing, it's a play that should be seen.
To 20-06-15 Alison Brinkworth
16-06-15
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an outstanding performance as likeable Andre, despite some of the harsh,
bristling comments to his daughter. He is compelling from start to
finish and no more so than in the final moving moments of the play.