Appropriate, Donmar Warehouse - ★★★★★ - Until October 5, 2019


Inheritance comes in many forms: things, buildings, family ties and family history. How do we understand and cope with these legacies? Branden Jacob-Jenkins has given us Southern Gothic family drama with some subtly drawn and nuanced characters who try to deal with the personal and historical past in ways both more and less functional: anger, denial, retreat and possibly redemption. Not clearly understanding our relation to the past and yet somehow burdened by that which we may not be directly responsible for is a challenge faced by all of us. We all must live with the choices made by others in the context of different times and different values. This is the reality that each member of this family tries to deal with in their own way. Monica Dolan is simply amazing as the abrasive and volcanic Toni. She commands the stage with her raw rage and bitter wit. Jaimi Barbakoff as Rachael and Steven Mackintosh as Bo beautifully capture the attempt to bury the confusion and frustrations behind a facade of conventionality that becomes stretched very thin. Isabella Pappas as the cool, detached 'screenager', Cassidy, and Charles Furness as the confused and self-destructive Rhys hit just the right note as a new generation employing variations on their parents failed coping mechanisms. And then there are the excellent performances of Edward Hogg as Franz and Tafline Steen as River; they strive to re-invent themselves employing some questionable new age redemptive strategies and with uncertain success. This is a great cast, under Ola Ince's flawless direction, which gradually takes us into their world and allows us to slowly recognise it as ours.

Reviewed by J.C.

 Our Score:  ☆☆☆☆☆ 

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WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until October 5, 2019.
Mon - Sat: 7:30 pm, Thu & Sat: 2:30 pm
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Map & Location: 41 Earlham St, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9LX, UK

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