About the Show

Directed by Tessa Walker, written by Nancy Farino, with a debut cast led by new talent.

Winston Smith is a life coach with a failing grip on his own life. Amid a negligence lawsuit and a stalled self-help book, he embarks on an impromptu journey with his daughter Joy, who is exhausted from caretaking and emotional burnout. Their destination: County Mayo, Ireland, in search of long-lost ancestral roots. Their vehicle: a repurposed school bus, outfitted with mood lighting and dubious plumbing. What unfolds is a meandering escape—part search, part avoidance—as father and daughter grapple with their shared past and uncertain future.

This debut play by Inspire graduate Nancy Farino is directed by Tessa Walker, whose previous productions at Hampstead Downstairs include Biscuits for Breakfast, Big Big Sky, and Ravenscourt. Fatherland marks a new collaboration between emerging writing talent and an experienced director known for guiding character-driven contemporary work.

Critic Reviews (9)

"Farino’s writing fairly crackles...I'll be fascinated to see what Farino does next"
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"The originality of the staging, the invigorating writing and even the oddness of the structure makes this a wonky gem of a first play."
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"Jason Thorpe’s performance as Winston is one of the best I’ve seen all year: all coiled energy, taking us inside the mind of an optimist driven by tics and fantasies"
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"It’s an evening full of talent and hope, but ultimately, it’s Thorpe’s performance that just about holds it together."
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"The play feels simultaneously a little overwritten and somewhat wispy, with heavy-handed metaphors and symbolism jostling against a meandering plot."
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"Tessa Walker’s production... brings out the humour and the moments of tenderness and sadness in this play which, although quite slender, has a kind of perfect meditative integrity... And the acting is really excellent."
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"Nancy Farino's playwriting debut shows a lot of promise... but Fatherland feels too underbaked in placed, too unsure of how best to introduce its author's themes, to truly succeed."
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"A bumpy road trip with strong performances. "
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