Jab ★★★ Finborough Theatre | Feb 20 - Mar 16, 2024


Don and Anne's twenty-nine years of marriage has mainly been comprised of alcohol-fuelled bickering, and now the situation is exacerbated by the Covid lockdown. When the couple are forced to be together for extended periods, their quarrelling starts to focus on their different attitudes towards having the jab. As a healthcare worker, Anne supports being inoculated, whereas Don, as a Daily Mail reader, refuses to do so. The death toll mounts. Their disagreements take on a darker tone. And on top of all the other frictions, this latest adversity seems to threaten seriously the dispiriting dance that is their relationship. Kacey Ainsworth as Anne, and Liam Tobin as Don, put in strong performances, doing a fine job of conveying the bitterness and tenderness of this volatile marriage. Director Scott Le Crass strives to keep the audience's attention in this relatively static two-hander, but the device of constantly shifting around the set's chairs seems to have no point other than that. James McDermott's play has lots of laughs and some predictable pathos, and we enjoyed the sharp dialogue and the well-drawn characters. But, other than painting a convincing portrait of a toxic relationship and endorsing the importance of trusting health science, Jab doesn't seem to have much of a point.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Steve Gregson

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:

Most Popular

King of Pangea ★★ King's Head Theatre | Jun 7 - Jul 6, 2025

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Our Cosmic Dust ★★★ Park Theatre | Jun 2 - Jul 5, 2025

Giffords Circus: Laguna Bay ★★★★ Chiswick House & Gardens | June 5 - 22, 2025

Stereophonic ★★★★ Duke of York's Theatre | May 24 - Oct 11, 2025

This Is My Family ★★★★ Southwark Playhouse, Elephant | May 23 - Jul 12, 2025

Ancient India: Living Traditions ★★★★ The British Museum | May 22 - Oct 19, 2025

The Comedy About Spies ★★★★★ Noël Coward Theatre | Until September 5, 2025

Edward Burra - Ithell Colquhoun ★★★★ Tate Britain | Jun 13 - Oct 19, 2025

Intimate Apparel ★★★★★ Donmar Warehouse | Jun 20 - Aug 9, 2025

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings