Fatherland: A Road Trip Into The Heart of Family Conflict
A school bus converted into a camper van becomes the potent, confined stage for a deeply Freudian drama in Nancy Farino's debut play, Fatherland, now showing at London's Hampstead theatre until 29 November. This refreshingly original production, directed by Tessa Walker, takes audiences on a road trip through the fault lines of a complex father-daughter relationship, where barbed exchanges and half-spoken feelings reveal layers of guilt and blame.
Confrontation on Wheels
The narrative centres on an overbearing life coach, Winston, played by Jason Thorpe, who railroads his reluctant daughter, Joy, portrayed by Nancy Farino, into a journey to County Mayo after tracing their family tree. In reality, both are seeking an escape. Joy is grappling with depression following her first significant heartbreak, while Winston is fleeing a precarious legal situation involving a deceased client whose family holds him responsible.
The refitted bus, with its clever set design by Debbie Duru, is more than just a vehicle; it's a pressure cooker. The effects of the journey are created not by a literal bus, but by seats on wheels, enhanced by flurries of snow, evocative lighting by Christopher Nairne, and dynamic movement from Rebecca Wield. Within this space, the dynamic is clear: he dominates, she acquiesces.
Layers of Narrative and Performance
The play unfolds across three distinct narrative strands. The core of the action is the bristling banter and barbed exchanges between father and daughter on the bus, featuring a great recurring joke about Bono. Alongside this, flashbacks reveal Winston receiving his own form of coaching from his solicitor, Claire, played by Shona Babayemi, concerning the dead client. The third, more liminal, prong delves into Joy's lyrical, wintry, and elliptical dream-world.
While the play builds unequally across these three parts, gaining significant traction in the legal and road-trip narratives, Joy's interior world, though beautifully dream-like, sometimes feels like it belongs to a different play. Some elements, such as the backstory for Claire and deeper reflections on Joy's repeatedly mentioned heartbreak, feel under-explained.
A Wonky Gem with Thrilling Writing
Despite its structural oddities, Fatherland is elevated by fine performances from the entire cast and some truly thrilling writing. The dialogue crackles with repressed emotion, culminating in a crash that literally blows the roof off both the bus and their relationship. A surprisingly moving sing-along offers a moment of poignant connection amidst the tension.
The originality of the staging, the invigorating quality of the writing, and the sheer commitment of the performances make this a wonky gem of a first play. It is a production that, in its disparate parts, becomes a genuine pleasure to watch, marking Nancy Farino as a promising new voice in theatre.
