Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you as you are to them.” If the good Archbishop was right, then it’s possible God was having an off-day when he put together the family in Sarah Majland’s play The Summer After Dad Died, currently playing at the Hen & Chickens Theatre.
In the summer of 1985, Denmark was not a great place to be as the country was in a deep financial crisis, causing the government to cut expenditure and raise taxation to keep the country afloat. Every day, the radio and newspapers bring more bad news, but three sisters, and their families are trying to forget all that by spending a vacation in their old family summer house which they inherited on the death of their father. Marianne (Halli Pattison) is the eldest and, as the mother of a very young baby, is not having a great time thanks to sleep deprivation, constantly worrying about the child and a husband, in the shape of Peter (Boyan Petrov) who really isn’t pulling his weight when it comes to baby minding and supporting his wife. Also in the house is middle sister, the rather ditzy Tina (Milja Marttila), who is enjoying the sun and contemplating doing something about the famine in Ethiopia, while waiting for her boyfriend Thomas (Eddie Pop) to arrive. The final arrival is Anna (Cristina Parracho), who is half-sister to the girls – same father, different mother – and also a co-owner of the summer house. Ostensibly, then, a pretty normal family get-together. But under the surface, tensions are being held in, and words are not spoken. As the sun gets warmer, can the family stay together in their old house in a shared remembrance of the father? Or will the dam finally burst and everything that has gone unsaid or not done finally come out?
If I’m honest, it took me a while to warm to The Summer After Dad Died. Initially, I just wasn’t feeling the story or the characters. Marianne and Peter just irritated me, and Tina seemed a bit too air-headed to be allowed to cross the street on her own. However, once Thomas and Anna were introduced, and the dynamics changed, I became more invested and emotionally involved in the story. Interestingly, I felt a lot of affinity for Anna. In my family, I shared a father with my two brothers (who had both parents the same), so I understood what it was like to join the family as a semi, possibly resented outsider. Ultimately, I thought the story was pretty good and once things kicked off – no spoilers but it would be pretty boring if a family got together for a week’s holiday without something happening – it became really fascinating, with revelations by the score pouring fourth – including some which completely blindsided me – challenging perceptions and alliances and loyalties.
Before going further into detail, I’ve really got to congratulate Costume Designer Halli Pattison for not only finding period-specific clothing for all the cast, but also for finding so much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many costume changes in an off-West End show. I’m not sure how big the backstage area is at the Hen & Chickens. I’m assuming there is no traditional quick-change area, but the costume changes were many and really added to the narrative as we moved with the story. Also, kudos to the Sound Designer. It was great to hear sounds coming from where I expected them to, always impressive when that attention detail happens in a show.
Turning to the cast and the five actors do a great job bringing the characters to life. I especially liked/disliked Boyan Petrov as Peter. I can’t really articulate why, but as soon as the play started, I disliked the character, and that dislike was reinforced throughout the show as you realised he wasn’t just a man who sometimes put his foot in by speaking without thinking, but was actually a deeply self-centred and highly misogynistic individual. In fact, it culminated at one point, near the end, when Peter’s action caused me to mutter a very rude word about him under my breath. Quality acting that gets me into a character so much has to be applauded. I also want to single out Cristina Parracho as Anna, a character often appearing on the outside of the main action but also intrinsic to it. Parracho managed to make Anna someone I cared about and almost wanted to protect from the world outside. Again, great acting.
Summing up, The Summer After Dad Died is a surprisingly good play that started slowly and culminated in an ending that left the audience the opportunity to ponder, and in my case, really care about, what happens next. I think it could be trimmed a bit, especially the opening scene, which, for me, didn’t move fast enough to introduce the characters and get into the hear t of the story, but otherwise, it worked well as a piece of entertainment that probably left everyone thinking, thank god my family’s not like that – while secretly knowing that in some respects they probably are.
Review by Terry Eastham
It is summer in Denmark, and the year is 1985. The country is in a deep financial crisis, and the world seems to be offering nothing but bad news. Following the death of their father, three sisters and their families get together in their old family summer house for a week of vacation – but emotions run high, and it is hard not to slip into old patterns. Soon, the tension starts growing, and the warm summer air tightens as secrets and betrayal rise to the surface.
Marianne: Halli Pattison
Peter: Boyan Petrov
Tina: Milja Marttila
Thomas: Eddie Pop
Anna: Cristina Parracho
Written & Directed by Sarah Majland
Costume design: Halli Pattison
Quid Pro Quo Theatre presents
THE SUMMER AFTER DAD DIED
Hen & Chickens Theatre
22 to 26 April 2025
