I HAVE TO COMMEND THE FANTASTIC ACTING BUT FOUND IT A LITTLE FREUDIAN THAT THE SAME ACTOR PLAYED BOTH THE MOTHER AND WIFE

By Molly Hayes | Molly Hayes ⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

The stereotypical angelic image of mothers is so ingrained in all of us that it can be difficult to discuss any deviating experiences. In Johnathan Maitland’s ‘How To Survive Your Mother’, his mother, Bru, is shown to be anything but what you’d expect. Her narcissism and compulsive lying are key details of a thought-provoking portrait in Maitland’s explorations of his real-life complicated relationship with her.

The play had plenty of funny moments, mainly due to Bru’s ridiculous lies and flippant use of vulgar language. I particularly enjoyed that she named her new hotel for gay men the ‘Homolulu’ and how she expertly dealt with her homophobic ex-army neighbour. However, the unhinged side of Bru was still put front and centre. I was shocked at the scene where, at Maitland’s sixth birthday dinner, Bru invites her solicitor and spends the dinner discussing divorcing her son’s father. Another spiteful line from Bru that struck me was when she said “This is why [your friends] hate you.” during a trivial argument about what TV channel to watch. With such personal and traumatic memories being performed, humour was needed to balance this and was effective in doing so.

What surprised me the most about this play was that Johnathan Maitland himself appeared onstage. His direct addresses to the audience that this is a true story and that he had anxieties about telling it were incredibly powerful. Maitland explicitly stated that the play is about his mother and not him but this is not strictly true. The scenes depicting his present life with his wife, including a mock therapy session between the two, are evidence of this. I must admit, I’m not sure the play needed so many of these scenes, although I appreciated their purpose in revealing how Bru’s mothering still affects Maitland.

I have to commend the fantastic acting in this production. Emma Davies’ performance as the mother was delightfully psychotic, fluctuating between charming and malicious. She also portrayed Maitland’s wife well, although I personally found it a little Freudian that the same actor played his mother and wife. The remaining cast of Peter Clements, John Wark, and Stephen Ventura all seamlessly shifted between their different characters, which was enjoyable to watch. I also cannot forget the talent of child actor Howard Webb, who held his own and did a wonderful job in his roles.

‘How To Survive Your Mother’ is a fascinating true story that delves into a topic that needs to be discussed more. Maitland succeeded in evoking his complex feelings towards his mother in his audience. With some refinement, it could create even more of an emotional impact.

How To Survive Your Mother is running until 24 November at King’s Head Theatre.

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Photo Credit: Charles Flint