Fatherland by Nancy Farino. Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, Eton Avenue, London NW3 until 29 November 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith.

Fatherland by Nancy Farino. Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, Eton Avenue, London NW3 until 29 November 2025,

5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Impressive first play brilliantly performed.”

Winston Smith's life is a mess. He is facing a lawsuit over the death of one of his patients – he is a life coach – and has a troubled relationship with his daughter Joy. He decides they will go to County Mayo in a bus he has renovated to visit his family roots. Nancy Farino's play tells how it all goes wrong and then possibly right and how, with some help from his lawyer, he might find a way out of his legal problems, except that he remains as he begins – absolutely impossible. Jason Thorpe delivers a stunning performance as Winston, all charm, refusal to accept reality and always thinking there is somewhere better somewhere else. But he is not alone. Farino is very good indeed as the beleaguered Joy as is Shona Babayemi, the lawyer he consults. Winston never means any harm, he is just incapable of realising the effects of what he does on others, and he has plans to write a book about this one, a young man called Matthew who has killed himself. Played straight through it proves a whirlwind journey ending with the hope that maybe father and daughter have resolved their problems and that for once Winston will face up to life as it is and not as he wants it to be. Only good things do not happen to him – there is a marvellous moment when he loses his credit card in a machine at motorway when he erupts in rage. What he does can mean bad things happen to other people – and Matthew was one of them. The bus journey has been conjured up splendidly on an essentially bare stage – a long blue carpet, a matching back wall which occasionally opens up to show a widow or a platform appears above – using a couple of chairs on wheels moving around and a long strip of white sheet. Fatherland is an impressive first play and Hampstead in this production immaculately directed by Tessa Walker launches it on the world perfectly. Winston is someone you will not forget in a hurry – and hope never to have anything to do with.

Cast

Jason Thorpe – Winston

Nancy Farino – Joy

Shona Babayemi – Claire

Creatives

Director – Tess Walker

Designer – Debbie Duru

Lighting Designer – Chrisopher Nairne

Sound Designer & Composer – Khali Madovi

Movement Director – Rebecca Wield