Review: The Sum Of Us, Above The Stag Theatre
By Nick Bond
Some 25 years since its stage debut, Australian writer David Stevens’ much-loved The Sum Of Us gets a new airing at Above The Stag Theatre in Vauxhall – and it’s a delight.
It’s small play in many ways – set almost entirely in a daggy Aussie living room, with largely domestic concerns – but there’s much to love about it. Harry (Stephen Connery-Brown) is a single widower – eternally chipper, fond of a beer and a chat. His 24-year-old son Jeff (Tim McFarland) lives at home, and the pair joke, squabble and drink their way through their cohabitation.
Oh – and Jeff’s gay. Harry’s the first to tell us – the actors in the play frequently break the fourth wall to address the audience – and while he might not have all the PC terms down pat (in short, his son’s a woolly woofter who likes playing hide the sausage with other blokes), he’s nothing but supportive.
A little too supportive, in fact. When Jeff returns home late from a date with the handsome Greg (Rory Hawkins) in tow, Harry’s up and into the living room to crash the party and give his son’s potential beau the once-over.
While they won’t quite admit it to each other, both Harry and Jeff are desperate for love. Jeff is instantly heartbroken when his night with Jeff ends prematurely, while Harry’s taken to using a dating agency phone service in the hopes of finding a new wife. Father and son are all-too-similar when it comes to matters of the heart, despite their differing sexualities.
It’s not hard to see why The Sum Of Us is so beloved, 25 years on: The central relationship at its core is a joy to watch, full of familial intimacy and back-and-forth banter. For a play that revels in the domestic, there’s also an element of fantasy to be had: for so many gay men – even those who’d consider they have good relationships with their fathers – the boundariless bond between Harry and Jeff seems unimaginable.
Director Gene David Kirk has assembled a fine cast: having a few Aussies in the mix certainly helps – although accents are strong across the board – and in the intimate confines of Above The Stag, you’ll feel you’re transported to a Australian suburban living room circa 1990 (albeit one located next to a hulking big train track). Connery-Brown in particular shines as Harry, but his younger cast mates are fantastic too – and Annabel Pemberton brings a humanity to her tough supporting role as Joyce, a flawed potential partner for Harry.
All in all: A welcome, faithful telling of what is by now a classic piece of gay theatre.
FOUR STARS
info: The Sum Of Us plays at the Above The Stag Theatre, Vauxhall, until October 4.
Related: ‘The Sum Of Us’ writer David Stevens on the play’s 25-year influence