Him
Natalie Ekberg
Directed by Simon Fielding
Oakhill Europe Ltd
Union Theatre
Star rating 2.5
An exploration of complex family dynamics presents two apparently happily married gay men, a 16-year-old son they seem to have adopted, a mother/in-law who is Nana to everyone and a female friend of one of the men who turns up to rock the boat. But it’s quite a while before these relationships become clear.
There is some fine acting in this company of five. Hannah Chalmers, for example, is outstanding as Jane, the old friend who turns up from a successful career in LA and decides to base herself in the English village in which the rest of them live. She finds a range of moods including flippancy, brittleness, vibrant sexuality, yearning and, ultimately, convincing anguish and we understand that there are many layers to Jane. Gary Tushaw turns out a strong performance as Osmond too – a man who does the right thing and loves his partner but who ultimately has to deal with what seems like betrayal. Tushaw presents much thought and suffering through subtle facial expression.
There are, however, problems with this play which at 90 minutes is at least 20 minutes too long and contains some scenes which do little or nothing to drive the narrative. The action takes place over about 18 years but there are confusing time shifts so that it often takes much longer than it should to work out where we are in the chronology partly because, minor costume changes notwithstanding, no one except Chalmers as Jane, looks nor seem older or younger. Some of the dialogue feels unnaturally wooden too. And the most dramatic, telling line in the play (no spoilers) which should make the audience gasp was mis-timed on press night so that it passed almost unnoticed.
On the other hand, it’s an interesting idea for a play which raises some thoughtful questions about women’s choices – the ones they have and the ones they should have – and about parenting in a three-generation family. Part of the plot rests on the time-honoured “suo padre” issue as in The Marriage of Figaro and hundreds of other stories when paternity matters – not particularly original but Him offers an imaginative twist on it.
