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Searching undeterred: The Gift @ParkTheatre

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I recently had a few parcels go missing from where I live. The first parcel disappeared without a trace. The second parcel's contents were removed, and the box was left alone in the lobby. It's one of the things that you have to put up with living in central London. Apart from complaining to the delivery company and filing a police report, it crossed my mind to think about what would happen if I sent myself something rather unpleasant for a future parcel thief to open up. Well, Dave Florez's new work, The Gift, is in this line of thinking, except that the lead receives an anonymous gift of a turd in the mail rather than sending it to himself. It is lovingly gift-wrapped in a cake box from a posh north London bakery. It's a fascinating and hilarious three-hander currently playing at Park Theatre .  Colin (Nicholas Burns) is a little obsessive at the best of times. He doesn't let things drop quickly and is obsessed with the details behind anything and everythi...

Dad Jokes: Dead Dad Dog @finborough


So what happens if your dad returns from the dead to haunt you for fun in mid-eighties Edinburgh? The first London production of Dead Dad Dog in 35 years shows that new ideas of the past just become the old things of the present. It’s an amusing concept made enjoyable by the likeable leads in the piece. Written by John McKay, who would go on to find fame in television and film, it’s currently playing at the Finborough Theatre. 

Due to cast illness, the second half of this show, Sunny Boy, has not gone ahead. It’s a shame, as the second half was a sequel to the piece set in Glasgow in 2023. And so, while we miss the update, we can enjoy the eighties in all its glory and marvel at the fashion, thinking, and the fascinating possibility that if you died in the early seventies, you would never know who Margaret Thatcher was. 


The premise is that young man Eck (Angus Miller) is getting ready for an interview for the BBC in Edinburgh when his father, Willie (Liam Brennan), appears. The only problem is that he’s been dead for years. And he’s not a ghost, either. Everyone can see him, and some unknown force field ensures they are kept within a few feet of each other. And so there they are, stuck with each other as he goes to an interview, goes on a date and tries to have a bath. 

Part of the appeal to the piece is that while most sons probably don’t hate their fathers, they are probably not keen on spending much time around them, either. Whether it’s due to the clothes they wear, what they drink, think or joke about, it’s all from another time and place. 

Miller and Brennan have fun with the premise, making it fascinating and fun to watch. They also play off the audience if you give them the opportunity, so be careful if you stand out for any reason.

Directed by Liz Carruthers, Dead Dad Dog continues at the Finborough Theatre until 28 October. It then has a short run at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh in November. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos: production photos



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