Writer: Adam Lenson
Here’s a hugely thoughtful solo show. It addresses fellow humans who may be carrying some regret about how they’ve interacted with others in the past.
Adam Lenson opens with some painful childhood stories but adds some levity to proceedings by throwing in songs. These are all fairly simple, catchy and witty numbers that help us reflect upon aspects of giving apologies – and the difficulties caused by not receiving them when they’re due.
One in particular – Not That Sorry – hilariously deconstructs ways that people and institutions appear to apologise while avoiding actually meaning it. Adam, an experienced theatre director, performs it with relish. He moves seamlessly from story to song and back again, establishing an intimate bond with the audience from the outset. There’s a cleverly composed slideshow on the screen behind him that introduces and summarises the topics he covers.
Adam shares his angst around real-life scenes that went wrong in the past. He wishes he had a time machine to travel back and avoid the interpersonal damage happening in the first place. This brings to mind Kierkegaard’s wry observation that life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards.
However Adam also pushes back a little, which is important. We don’t necessarily have to carry the guilt that others heap on us. Without the caveat that he’s sometimes in the right, his show might have become a ‘mea culpa’ fest – and a bit of a downer. As it is, this is a lively and hopeful deep dive into the world of the apology. Drawing on his Jewish heritage, Adam explores the theme of repentance and the way we aim to learn from our mistakes and do things differently next time.
He puts heart and soul into the show and at the end invites the audience to write out cards giving examples of who they’d like to apologise to, and for what. This is entirely voluntary. That most people choose to do it suggests that Adam’s project resonates well with his audience, while an anecdote about two relatives agreeing to differ reminds us just how thorny an area this can be.
Runs until 31 August 2026 (not 17 or 24) | Image: Contributed
