Jab ★★★ Park Theatre | April 1 - 26, 2025


This show, which was performed at the Finborough Theatre in 2024, has now moved to the Park Theatre, but there has been no real updating of the text. 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. On top of all the other frictions in the dispiriting dance that is the couple's relationship, this latest dispute seems to seriously threaten the marriage. The death toll mounts, and their disagreements take on a darker tone. Kacey Ainsworth as Anne, and Liam Tobin as Don, put in strong performances. Both do a fine job of conveying the bitterness and tenderness of this volatile yoking. With the smallest of gestures, their performances beautifully manage to convey the weariness, and tenderness, that characterise this relationship, and some of the best moments are those that are unspoken. James McDermott's play has lots of laughs and some predictable pathos. We enjoyed the sharp dialogue and withering put-downs, and the characters are very well-drawn. However, 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

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP, UK

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