20 January 2012 (Theatre Review)

Star Rating: 4/5

Title: The Family
Venue: The Project Arts Centre
Director: Grace Dyas
Cast: Shane Byrne, Lauren Larkin, Louise Lewis, Barry O'Connor, Brian Bennett, Gerard Kelly, Gemma Collins.

THEATREclub are anxious to stress the artifice that defines The Family from the very beginning. Seemingly the picket fences, MDF walls with visible supports and technicolour fake grass that make up the set are not indication enough that there is to be no suspension of disbelief for the next hour or so. Gemma Collins holds court in a 1950s cinched waisted dress counting down the number of minutes we are into the show and setting the scene. Punctuating the action with a saccharinely sweet smile that is slowly wiped from her face as the production unfolds, her robotic "Its 26 minutes in, its winter and its Friday" puts one in mind of a Stepford wife. And we all know that there was definitely something amiss in Stepford.

Despite the strong 1950s aesthetic of the piece there is no denying that this is Dublin. There isn't a strictly defined narrative to The Family but that is not the point, or the style, of this show. Relying heavily on the improvisational skills of the cast, The Family is about your family and, judging by the knowing guffaws and elbow nudging that ripples like a Mexican wave through the audience, THEATREclub have hit the nail on the head in their representation of this. The cast assume interchangeable roles and at any one time may be having a menopausal breakdown in the kitchen over some carrots, threatening a slap to an unruly teenager or doing a knick knack on the unsuspecting widowed neighbour.

The structure of The Family (or one could argue, lack of structure) invites a great deal of playfulness on the part of the cast. Although at times the improvisatory nature of the piece incites a lull in momentum and the skill of one ensemble member can reveal a weakness in a less able sparring partner, this makes it all the more exciting to watch. The Family brings anthropology and theatre together in an intelligent and entertaining marriage – one with out of control children, nosy neighbours and, underneath it all, love. When you take away the MDF walls, the fake grass and technicolour costume what remains is real people and their respective relationships, by collapsing the traditional structure of the family perhaps you're left with exactly the same thing?

Review by: Lauren O'Toole

 

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