That Tall Chap Off Miranda

This play took place in a converted chocolate factory, the Willy Wonka enthusiast within couldn't pass up the chance to check it out. Oh and it had Gary from Miranda in, what with it having done so well in America I was intrigued.

Ben Lyons (Nicholas Day) lies in a New York hospital bed surrounded by his overbearing wife Rita (Isla Blair), his recovering alcoholic daughter Lisa (Charlotte Randle) and his gay son Curtis (Tom Ellis). As the Lyons family gather round the bed of their dying patriarch, it doesn’t take long for this family’s forced pleasantries and stilted niceties to descend into bickering, recriminations and snide remarks. 

Forced to spend time together in the confines of the hospital room proves to be a tense experience for the entire Lyons clan. Day’s cantankerous grumbles were complemented brilliantly by Blair’s acerbic wit to convey the chemistry of this long-suffering husband and wife duo. As they struggle to converse, it soon becomes apparent that this family are much more at home hurling insults at each other. 

This family drama is unique in that none of the members provoke any level of sympathy. They all appear to be as vile as each other, with very few redeeming features between them. I’m not sure whether this really worked, as I found this family dynamic difficult to connect with emotionally. That said, watching a family that is as self-absorbed and dysfunctional as the Lyons did provoke a strong sense of schadenfreude. 

One the highlights of The Lyons is the poignant monologue that Rita delivers shortly after Ben’s death. Rita explains that after 40 years in a loveless marriage she finally feels liberated to rediscover what it truly means to be happy. She comically wastes no time at all in grasping her second chance at happiness, as she decides to run off to Aruba (with a man half her age) on the same day as her husband’s funeral. I also was very impressed by Jonathan Fensom’s extremely detailed and realistic set design; as part of his replica of the hospital room he had even gone to the lengths of including a working hand sanitiser. Fensom’s design provided a backdrop of gritty realism to the play. 

All in all The Lyons was funny and the performances polished but they were unfortunately let down by the lack of character development. I found the Lyons’ one dimensional insulting nature a little tiresome and consequently the play lacked an overall message. Expect maybe to think twice before inviting a family like the Lyons over for dinner.