The Father at Oldham Coliseum
Andrew Anderson
The Father is an unusual play because just when you think the scene has been set, the story suddenly changes. The reason for this is Andre, an 80-year-old whose dementia has made him a rather unreliable narrator. Was he a dancer, an engineer or something else? He can’t quite remember.
As for his family, they’re doing their best to show him love…but he’s becoming a burden. Exactly what should happen to people who we love and care for once they are no longer able to look after themselves?
It’s a question that many families face as lives last longer and longer, and The Father deals with the topic with great sensitivity. As a result, it’s won a slew of awards on both Broadway and in the West End. Now it’s on at Oldham Coliseum, with Kenneth Alan Taylor in the lead role.
A King Lear for the 21st century, The Father provides an intelligent and moving insight into the problems of ageing.
