Delinquent Dad – Tabard Theatre

This kookily animated production took me back to watching My Parents Are Aliens on the TV. Yet, this play is set six months into the future, envisioning increasing rent bills, crypto cases, and an elevated housing crisis. Its incidentally interweaving connections tie into the small-world-feel of the sitcom trope, and the gloriously indifferent, haphazard Dad (John Gorick) makes for a likeable and oddly believable protagonist.

A young couple, a pair of millennials as they call themselves, are baffled when what is meant to be a meal for the rents turns out to be a savage split, as Matt’s Dad is dumped on his doorstep with a holdall catapulted into the room by a furious wife. The timing couldn’t be worse – Matt (Bradley Crees) and Cara (Elizabeth Back) are in the midst of a rent strike, torn between leaving and holding their ground. The Dad, Robert’s, arrival brings chaos and disruption. A playful, creeping feeling is suggested through the use – perhaps overuse of Peer Gynt during the transitions.

Matt and Cara’s acting felt stilted and hammy at first, but I soon realised this to be a conscious stylistic choice which Back and Crees delivered with vigour to a polished effect, as directed by Nick Bromley.

Cara’s wide-eyed expressions and hooting laugh convey the warmth and melodrama of her character. She is a legal consultant and part-time social media fitness sensation with a bouncy optimism. Robert overhears her livestreaming in the shower to much confusion, which is one example of comparing the generational differences in the play.

Crees matched Back’s energy as the loquacious, concerned Matt. Both felt too animated to be real or relatable for me, personally, but their characters worked well in the piece. The sleazy Armitage (Mark Parsons) was an effectively strange presence in the room, and his conceited smile and shifty strides worked perfectly. Gorick has excellent comedic timing, with a nonchalant delivery that landed well in contrast with Matt and Cara’s energetic dialogue. He was watchful and responded naturally, giving Robert a candidness, but sometimes the characters’ occasional nervous twitches became a bit too fidgety, and moments of stillness would have enhanced the comedy better.

E J Anderson’s writing brought dynamism and intrigue within the closed space, with particularly funny bits – I am still wondering what the final straw between Robert and his wife was. The image of their world and the abandoned street slowly built up through the play, and I liked being able to visualise the outside environment. I would have liked, however, to have seen one of the characters transformed by the end of the play.

Delinquent Dad is a funny and odd story, which in spite of some exaggerated characters, is pretty plausible, especially in our current climate. It also captures a moment in time between “millennials” and “boomers”, and the particular generational differences right now. It is easy to become invested in the story and Gorick’s performance as the dad; his innocence and accidental mishaps are brilliant.

Showing until 28^th October.

Reviewer: Riana Howarth

Reviewed: 13th October 2023

North West End UK Rating: