Review: After Sunday (Bush Theatre)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What do Sundays mean to you? Maybe they’re a day for tradition, a day for family, or a day for rest. But how would you cope if your Sundays were forced to change, and you knew they’d never go back to before. That forms the basis for new play, After Sunday, following four people whose Sunday cooking group changes them forever. But would this powerful play be the creme de la creme, or would it end up biting off more than it can chew?

A co-production between the Bush Theatre and Coventry's Belgrade Theatre, After Sunday is the debut play of Sophia Griffin. Set in a secure hospital, the action follows three of the patients through their Sunday Caribbean cooking class, led by occupational therapist Naomi. Taking place across six months of sessions, the play sees the group shook by tragedy, divided by their differences and forced to confront the impact of who they really are, forming a fascinatingly nuanced look at men’s mental health and the intertwining lives of people who just need to talk, no matter how reluctant they may be. 

This is an incredible debut play for Griffin, whose writing is nothing short of terrific, encapsulating so many elements of the human psyche in only ninety minutes. She’s managed to incorporate dialogue of rib-tickling humour, as well as moments of intense pathos, and scenes glide between these genres effortlessly. It is a piece imbued with passion, radiating off some genius wit all while tensions sizzle like a pot of water about to boil over. And the payoff is incredible, with the final scene a sublime eruption of the crescendoing emotions. Thankfully, the whole play doesn’t feel solely like a build-up to this though, with gut-punching scenes coming thick and fast, and each offering up a little more heat as we dig further inside of our characters. 

The writing’s strongest attribute is in its characterisations, with Griffin creating four characters who we not only connect to, but fully understand and root for throughout. A lot of this is helped by the decision not to emphasize the crimes that have brought them to the secure hospital- while these are present throughout, they’re used more as a vehicle to tell the story than the focus itself, allowing for broader, more powerful insight to be had. The writing relies on building up such loyal sympathy for the characters before we learn the extent of their more condemnable actions, and this allows our connection to remain, letting us think about what could have led them to each choice they make.

Griffin understands the need for each character to feel fully developed, and gives each of them their own arc, providing all four with moments that offer us a full insight into their minds. By only showing us the occasional fortnightly meeting, there is a lot of this development happening offstage, yet each subtlety is clear and character changes feel understandable. For all three of the patients, we see them go through highs and lows, becoming a changed man because of it, and there are unavoidable similarities between their goals and that of Naomi. We also see glimpses into the personal lives of each of them, which give enough backstory to develop them as characters while ensuring this remains a story about the relationships between our central four, and, more importantly, a story about their relationships with themselves. 

Bringing this to life is an impeccable ensemble cast, who are perfectly suited to all the demands of the script, both emotionally and comedically. Stealing the show in the early scenes is Corey Weekes as Ty, whose swaggering charisma and exemplary comic timing has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand, with the hidden fragility coming more to light as the play progresses and Weekes proves his emotional versatility. Later in the show, David Webber gives a stand-out performance as Leroy, whose maturity, like a fine wine, brings with it a more complex palate emotionally. Leroy’s development is fascinating, cycling through hope, anger, and heartbreak, which Webber portrays brilliantly. 

As Daniel, Darrel Bailey blends into the background at the beginning of the play against such strong characters, which makes his development the most inspiring by far. Bailey’s Daniel is vulnerable and empathetic, but with a less pleasant side we are occasionally reminded of, and his monologue in the final scene was absolutely devastating. Holding the whole show together is Aimée Powell as the optimistic Naomi, whose cheerful mask slowly begins to deplete as we see her broken by a system determined to have her fail. In a role that demands so much, Powell beautifully gives us this attempt at stability and structure, and watching her initial hopefulness crack as she learns more about these men and their struggles is heartbreaking, particularly by the final scene.

For the most part, Corey Campbell’s direction is steady and assured, giving us dynamic and engaging staging that properly platforms the writing. However, the confusing choice to intersperse scenes with interpretive, semi-choreographed interludes, as well as some unclear choices during Naomi’s solo scenes, feels misplaced and disrupts the valuable authenticity of the piece. This is a case of over-direction working to a production’s detriment, since, without these occasional moments, the play would run with a far smoother connection to the audience, since, during the normal scenes, Campbell’s direction manages to highlight the writing exactly as it should. The other creative elements complement this, with Claire Winfield’s set design a simple yet malleable platform for the action, and Ali Hunter’s lighting design a subtle indicator of the darkening tone throughout.

After Sunday is a play that’s like a good steak- it’s tender, it’s flavourful, and it will certainly leave you wanting more, although the occasional bite may be harder to chew than others. Ultimately, a brilliant cast and impeccable writing make for an affecting night at the theatre that definitely provides some food for thought.

After Sunday plays at Bush Theatre until 20th December. Tickets from https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/after-sunday/ 

Photos by Nicola Young