DramaLondonReview

Jack Goes to Therapy – Bread and Roses Theatre, London

Reviewer: Andrew Houghton

Writer: Zac Williams

Having wowed fringe festival audiences in Vancouver and Edinburgh, Jack Goes to Therapy now makes its London debut at the Bread and Roses Theatre in Clapham. Writer and performer Zac Williams is fantastically captivating in the intimate space.

As suggested by the title, Jack begins a journey of professionally assisted self-reflection after over-sharing at the sexual health clinic. Having lost his boyfriend to the man they had a threesome with, Jack must grieve his relationship and the proposal he was planning to make. Quickly approaching is Fateful Friday, the final chance to return a very expensive engagement ring, but Jack isn’t quite sure how to fast-track his heartbreak.

Williams is a gifted storyteller, delivering a delightful hour of entertainment which is both funny and thoughtful. Tackling universal themes of love, loss and friendship; his script may not totally break the mould but it is written with heart and presented with buckets of charisma.

As a performer, Williams paces his performance well which benefits the clarity, momentum and multi-roling of the narrative. His natural speaking rhythm is very easy to listen to – steady, melodic and engaging – which makes the hour fly past. Williams’ comedy skills, present in both the writing and delivery, are also notably crowd-pleasing and garner audible laughter from start to finish.

It is a relief that Williams’s presence is so captivating because Jack Goes To Therapy, performed on an empty black stage with a single stool, is the epitome of a minimalist solo show. The entire weight of world-building rests upon Williams’s vocal cords, with a sprinkling of physicality changes. The play could almost pass for a stand-up comedy set, with its consistent humour, but Williams’s nuanced portrayal of heartbreak is much too genuine. He presents the grief for his ex-relationship in a touching, delicate way which provokes the audience to reflect on the relationships they themselves hold dear.

Jack Goes To Therapy is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an evening and, perhaps with an evolution of its staging and design elements, this piece could certainly carve out a long-lasting future for itself. At least in some capacity, audiences deserve to see more of the brilliant Zac Williams.

Reviewed on 22 January 2025

The Reviews Hub Score

Delightful

Show More
Photo of The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
The Reviews Hub