Review: This Is My Family (Southwark Playhouse Elephant)

Review by Daz Gale

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In recent years, Southwark Playhouse has become a reliable home for new musicals with previous productions The Curious Of Benjamin Button and Operation Mincemeat now enjoying extended West End runs. There is always a sense of excitement when you see a new musical there as you never know where it may lead - though not every new musical manages to get it right, as the last musical to play this venue can vouch for, it is the sense of the unknown that makes it even more exciting. Given the calibre of writer Tim Firth’s previous credits, my excitement reached fever pitch at the London premiere of This Is My Family, but could it reach the standard of some of the titans that have gone before it?

Premiering in Sheffield in 2013, This Is My Family was last seen in Chichester in 2019, but this new production marks its London premiere. The musical focuses on one rather dysfunctional family that can’t seem to communicate with each other. When 13 year old daughter Nicky wins a competition for a dream holiday, she makes the rather unexpected choice of a camping trip. Though initially a disaster, with different generations of the family all having ties to this campsite, could it end up bringing them back together again?

It is a sweet and charming story, packed with humour and wit as Firth describes family members that many will find relatable - there’s the clumsy father, the overworked and underappreciated mother, the frustrated daughter, and the antisocial son. It is in the over-the-top characterisation of son Matt that provides the most comedy gold in Firth’s writing, with his “goth” stage taken to comedic extremes - I’m sure many a parent in the audience would find his grunting all too familiar.

It’s not all fun and games, though - as with Firth’s other works, This Is My Family has a variety of themes going on with more serious themes bringing an emotional weight to the work. Most notable is the story of Steve’s elderly mother, May as the family start to become worried about her deteriorating health. This proves the most moving aspect of the show, amplified by Gay Soper’s astonishing performance in the role. Elsewhere, the story of the parents struggling to reignite the flame that brought them together and the siblings who are no longer as close as they were also have their moments of sentimentality, though could use a bit of tightening up for maximum impact, as not every moment lands as it should.

Though Firth’s book is strong for the most part, his music doesn’t quite match that level, with songs that all sound very similar, struggling to differentiate themselves and lacking a structure that makes many of them stop randomly without an appropriate climax. For a musical, the music is sadly the weakest part of the story by a long way - leaving me wondering if perhaps This Is My Family would be better as a play rather than a musical. It certainly plays out more like a TV sitcom or even a comedy film with a great story there, but I wonder if Firth has ended up going down the wrong road by adding songs that bring the standard down significantly.

Directed by Vicky Featherstone with a playful nature that transforms the simplest props and brings imagination to life, she makes full use of Chloe Lamford’s interesting set design. It quite sweetly replicates the family home in a miniature version with great visual gags associated with this, before a transformation changes the aesthetic completely. It is rather strange to have a proscenium arch in a venue that has seating on three sides of the stage, though I’m assured this doesn’t lead to visual restrictions as the last show that played here with a proscenium style suffered. It does beg the question of why this style for this theatre though and, as much as I love this venue personally, was this the best fit for the show? A minor quibble but one to consider as it did feel like a particular perplexing choice given the space the show is in. 

The material may prove slightly inconsistent in its execution but one aspect of This Is Your Family that consistently impresses is that of the six-strong cast. Led by Nancy Allsop as Nicky, she proves the perfect narrator for the madness that is her family, delivering a confident performance that sets the tone beautifully. Luke Lambert is a huge standout as her brother Matt in an overblown but consistently funny portrayal that perfectly represents how exaggerated and dramatic your teenage years can be. His growth and changes through the show are a delight to witness.

Michael Jibson and Gemma Whelan have a fantastic and realistic dynamic as married couple Steve and Yvonne. Jibson gets some great comic moments, particularly in musical numbers comparing himself to his son (cleverly flipped later in the show) while Whelan gives a solid turn demonstrating the fed up matriarch. Though fairly underused, Victoria Elliott gives a memorable turn as Sian, delivering what is the standout number of the show in ‘Sex Is A Safari’. Gay Soper completes the cast with her complex but beautiful turn as May - though her character gets increasingly confused, there is no confusion over her exquisite portrayal that remains one of the best aspects of the show.

There is a lot to love in This Is My Family but, just like a family, it isn’t without its ups and downs. Some great dialogue and a premise that has a lot of promise are marred with musical numbers that prove all too samey and the feeling that not all of the potential has been quite met. It is a highly enjoyable show but far from perfect, and I can’t help but wonder if this would have fared better without the music, but who am I to question that? It may not reach the dizzying heights of some of the previous works at Southwark Playhouse, but I can see a lot more life in this musical, either in London or further afield.

This Is My Family plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 12th July. Tickets from https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/this-is-my-family/

Photos by Mark Senior