“Stenham’s script is outstanding in how authentic and believable her dysfunctional characters are, even while we are often imbued with loathing and distaste at their behaviour. Despite the weight of the subject matter, there is also a lot of wry humour even as the family unit disintegrates.”
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“‘That Face’ still feels like a sharp knife to the guts...There’s the very real possibility that Polly Stenham will never top the play she wrote when she was 19, but at least she can rest easy in the knowledge that it really is a classic, a timeless roar of teenage frustration.”
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"Stenham’s play is a savage analysis of just how much suffering families can cause."
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“Stenham’s script is undeniably a strong, and at times, utterly gripping piece of drama. For a play so grounded in realism, this production does sometimes veer in the opposite direction...Still, this accomplished piece of writing stands the test of time, and a passionate cast ensures the return of ‘That Face’ is not a disappointment.”
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“It’s punky and extravagant, but what’s less strong is any sense of psychological depth, any backstory, any exploration of the situation that goes beyond the surface antagonism...Over the course of some 95 minutes, the central theme of codependence between parents and children is rather too emphatic, too underlined.”
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"Tense, magnetically performed revival proves Polly Stenham’s celebrated debut has lost none of its bite"
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“In this play money can’t buy you emotional stability, it just covers the cracks and lets the unhappiness fester. Each time you laugh, you’re horrified. Chillingly compelling.”
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"It’s an almost sickeningly intense experience, lit up by some stunning performances and Josh Seymour’s finely calibrated direction, which manages to be both stylised and punchy but intimate and truthful too."
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