Review: When It Happens To You, Park Theatre - a horrific but powerful punch of a play
08/08/2024
The 'it' in When It Happens To You at the Park Theatre is revealed with a horrific punch in the play's opening moments. It's 3am, and Tara (Amanda Abbington) is woken up by her mobile. It's her daughter Esme (Rosie Day), who lives hours away in New York.
I'm deliberately not saying what 'it' is as that detail is not mentioned in the play description. One of the themes is the difficulty in saying the specific word and how hard it is for people to talk about it generally.
The play is written by Tawni O'Dell, who has drawn on her own experiences and focuses on the immediate and longer-term aftermath of the events of that night for Tara, Esme, and her brother Connor (Miles Molan).
There isn't the expected closure when criminal proceedings draw to their conclusion. Esme says she doesn't want to be defined by what happened, yet the event of that night subsequently defines each member of the family unit and their formally strong relationship is shattered.
It's a horror that lives on as they try to come to terms with it, and it's made all the more heart-wrenching by watching their inability to comfort each other. They just don't know how.
The script is powerful, vividly setting out layers of feelings, sometimes in just a few words. There is also wit, something which is particularly evident in the opening scenes when Tara's responses to the police and doctor's questions starkly contrast with what she is thinking (vocalised as asides). The same technique is used effectively later in the play when she sees a therapist.
Amanda Abbington delivers an outstanding performance as the mother who can't quite face the situation head-on and ignores her own toxic coping mechanisms.
Rosie Day has a steely fragility as Esme, and it is heart-wrenching to watch her spiral. This feeling is magnified when reflected in Tara and Connor's struggles.
It finishes with a final powerful kick—not one you'd expect but nonetheless tinged with hope.
When It Happens to You is painful to watch, but it's utterly gripping, I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
•••
See the content warning on the play's website if you have any concerns about the subject matter.
I was very kindly given a press ticket.
When It Happens To You, Park Theatre
Written by Tawni O'Dell
Directed by Jez Bond
Cast: Amanda Abbington, Rosie Day, Miles Molan and Tok Stephen.
Running time: 90 minutes without an interval.
Booking until 31 August; for more information and to buy tickets, visit the Park Theatre website.
Recently reviewed:
Wormholes, Omnibus Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ booking until 10 August
The Constituent, Old Vic Theatre ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ booking until 10 August.