Review of ‘Children of the Night’: “Promising Donny-themed play results in a little tyke”

London’s Southwark Playhouse presents this new play by new author Danielle Phillips, which explores the struggles of a Northern young woman during the post-Thatcherist note. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if this lass tale will be reet.

This is not another play about AIDS. Or about race. Or about class inequality. It’s a mixture of all. And ultimately, a hodgepodge. There are many poignant themes imbuing Danielle Phillip’s debut play, Children of the Night, which opened last week at London’s Southwark Playhouse, and which left audiences with a yearning for more — but not particularly in the show’s benefit.

Set in post-Thatcherist Doncaster and developed after the testimonies of 30 local people, the piece takes us through the trials and tribulations of late-teenager Lindsay, who tries to find her way in life by embracing sexual maturity, choosing a career path, and dealing with her father’s delicate health situation. She’s accompanied by her best friend, Jen, a fellow Donny of Asian heritage, who would encounter similar hardships, added to the recurring prejudice she faces due to her family origins.

It’s a premise that brims with opportunities for a resonant, thought-provoking social commentary, which the script honours to some extent, but sadly not to its full potential. Its key problem lies in the somewhat sketchiness of the story’s arcs. Most of them feel incomplete. And even when they’re not, their delivery is too hasty.

As a result, the recount’s pathos only materialises partially. We are enticed by the protagonist’s journey, but many sections aren’t sufficiently elaborated for the character-audience bond to form. Her complicated relationship with her father could have led to the most cathartic climax, despite its predictability. Yet, its limited space reduces its effectiveness to almost nonexistence. And consequently, its purpose within the narrative becomes questionable.

Overall, the most crucial elements within the story are treated as subplots. And even by those standards, their approach is somehow vapid. Jen’s struggles as a victim of racial bias could have had a stronger pulse throughout the piece, but its presence is brought down to merely a single line.

The same applies to the AIDS crisis, whose rapid spread has become a concern in the heterosexual community too, but which, despite the impending threat it causes to the main character, isn’t explored beyond a couple of sexual encounters, where there’s risk but no imminent dramatic upshots.

Despite its structural flaws, Danielle Phillips demonstrates aptitude as a writer through her competent execution of dialogue, which exhibits wit and flow, as well as internal pacing. As a whole, the narration comes off slightly brisk and without some pivotal components, such as a more intricate third act. Yet, the individual rhythm in each scene moves at a steady, well-resolved cadence — often engaging and agile.

The production excels through its multifaceted, dynamic staging. Hannah Sibai’s abstract set compellingly transforms from a suburban home to a nightclub through its clever use of scrims and fluorescent tubes, creating a vivid, transporting atmosphere that’s accentuated by Jessie Addinall’s carefully concocted lighting.

Devised as a three-hander, the entire company gives a solid performance that teems with magnetism and chemistry. Despite their impassioned take on the roles, particularly Phillips’s, the rendition never comes across as hyperbolic, still oozing naturalness and displaying depth and nuance for the most part.

It’s not the perfect play. Nor is it the most original concept. Yet, if handled properly, Children of the Night could have offered much more than what, as of now, is just the germ of a promising work, where most of its possibilities are yet to be realised. Every layer of it is cogent enough to put audiences through an emotionally powerful experience, but its pusillanimity to delve into any of them compromises its endurance. Much like its protagonist, it should take further accountability. And eventually, it needs to grow up.

All pictures credit to Marc Brenner.

Children of the Night plays at London’s Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 4 April. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara