An Adolescent Script Holds Back My Dad's Gap Year At Park Theatre

My Dad’s Gap Year, The Park Theatre ★★★☆☆

By David Lloyd-Davies Last edited 61 months ago

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An Adolescent Script Holds Back My Dad's Gap Year At Park Theatre My Dad’s Gap Year, The Park Theatre 3
Image: Pamela Raith Photography

A gay teenager trapped between an alcoholic father and co-dependent mother is the worryingly familiar story told in My Dad’s Gap Year. Billed as the true story of an uptight gay teen being liberated on a trip to Thailand, the plot actually focuses more on the carnage the father’s alcoholism wreaks upon the family.

Image: Pamela Raith Photography

The performance suffers from a talented cast struggling to make the most of an adolescent script. There are too many sub-plots and side-arms to do any of them justice in 90 minutes and the result is careless handling of delicate topics. Max Percy shines for his nuanced poignancy and Victoria Gigante’s short monologue on behalf of trans-women is deeply moving. Adam Lannon’s caricature of an alcoholic father lands his performance in the realm of Kevin & Perry, while Michelle Collins gives a solid performance in an underdeveloped character and manages a good on-stage rapport with promising new talent Alex Britt.

Image: Pamela Raith Photography

This is a good story to be told as a TV mini-series where the arc of each character can be fully realised without resorting to on-stage melodrama. As a stage production it starts strong but stays superficial and falls a little flat.

My Dad’s Gap Year, The Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP. Tickets from £16.50, until 23 February 2019.

Last Updated 05 February 2019