Review: THIS IS MY FAMILY, Southwark Playhouse (Elephant)
Mark Senior
Every family has That Holiday – the one where someone cried in a car park, the tent collapsed, and nobody spoke on the drive home. THIS IS MY FAMILY takes that exact energy and turns it into a musical. It’s tender, funny, occasionally frustrating, and not without its flaws, but there’s something deeply recognisable in the chaos.
Tim Firth’s musical comedy, first staged in Sheffield in 2013 and more recently revived in Chichester, finally gets its London premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Directed by Vicky Featherstone, this new production brings warmth, sincerity, and some standout performances to a piece that’s full of feeling, even if the storytelling occasionally meanders.
At the heart of it is 13-year-old Nicky, played with remarkable ease by Nancy Allsop. Nicky wins a writing competition and, rather than picking a flashy prize, chooses a family camping trip. Her plan is to return to the site where her parents first fell in love and fix the widening cracks in their relationship - unsurprisingly, nothing goes quite as she hopes. Allsop is a clear strength here – completely believable as a teen who’s smart, earnest, and far more emotionally aware than the adults around her. Gemma Whelan and Michael Jibson give solid, lived-in performances as her stressed-out parents, Yvonne and Steve. Their dynamic is painfully familiar to anyone who’s ever been stuck in a car with someone they once loved madly but now mostly bicker with over bills. Victoria Elliott brings energy as the eccentric Aunt Sian – charmingly out-of-step with everyone around her – while Gay Soper’s May, the grandmother, offers one-liners and quiet truths in equal measure.
The direction is light-touch and well-paced in the first half, though the second act loses momentum. It’s here that the story feels a little stretched, with a few musical numbers that don’t add much we haven’t already seen or heard. There’s a lack of variety in tone at times, and while the songs are sincere, they’re rarely musically memorable – more internal monologues than standout numbers. Design-wise, Chloe Lamford’s set is clever in its simplicity, and Lee Curran’s lighting does a good job shifting us between domestic tension and open-air reflection. The production never overreaches, but it doesn’t always surprise either.
That said, the emotional core of the show is still intact. Firth writes with an understanding of how families really operate – not in grand gestures, but in eye-rolls, half-conversations, awkward silences and sudden bursts of connection. It’s a show about how easy it is to stop listening, and how hard it is to start again. There are flaws – a few dips in pace, a slightly saggy second half – but THIS IS MY FAMILY still feels worth seeing, particularly for those who recognise the awkward, affectionate chaos of family life. It’s not trying to be larger than life. It just wants to hold a mirror up to real people and their ordinary, complicated love.
THIS IS MY FAMILY is a show that means well, and that counts for a lot. It’s tender, funny in places, and gently reflective. It won’t blow anyone away, but for those who see their own complicated, lovable mess of a family in these characters, there’s plenty to hold onto. Not perfect, not polished, but honest, and sometimes, that’s enough.
*** Three Stars
Reviewed by Lisamarie Lamb