Set in the ‘swinging sixties’, Blessings seeks to ask the questions of “do changes in the world make any difference to the way we navigate personal relationships”?
Frances has been expelled from school for telling a Nun to ‘fuck off’ and we soon find out she is five months pregnant. Mother Dorie thinks she should be ‘sent away’ to have the child quietly so as not to shame the family and father Frank doesn’t really seem to mind what happens. Teenage Sally has a big birthday coming up and boyfriend Peter is pressuring her to take the next step in their relationship.
Attending church, school and work are things, like many, the Deacon family do and this Easter Sunday is no different. But creepy priests, expulsions and teenage pregnancies can throw a seemingly normal British family in to chaos.
Told through a series of vignettes, it felt like the director didn’t know how to stage scene changes and so just opted to do a blackout each time which made the whole thing fragmented and like an unfunny sketch show.
Making his professional theatrical debut is Freddie Webster as Martin/Peter. He plays both the ‘posh twat’ brother and ‘not quite so posh’ boyfriend with very little difference, only obvious by his clothing – making it slightly uncomfortable as it looks like Sally is sleeping with her brother.
Gary Webster multi-roles as both ‘father’ and ‘priest’ and does so with obvious changes to accent, making his transition between characters quite comical (although I’m not sure this should be a comedy). His acting is not at fault but neither of the characters are particularly likeable. Anna Acton as ‘mother’ is also not a likeable character, seemingly distant from the rest of the family which doesn’t help build tension for the ‘big reveal’ at the end of the story.
Hannah Traylen is very good as pregnant teen ‘Frances’, Emily Lane is well cast as ‘Frances’ and Milly Roberts gives a strong performance as Penny/Vita.
Blessings sounds promising on paper but it doesn’t translate on stage. None of the characters are really likeable and themes like catholic guilt and shame are not explored in any real depth which could have made things more interesting.
Sadly, despite the promise of a ‘devastating and unforgettable climax’ it is immediately forgettable and despite a few nice performances, the direction makes it feel like you are watching a school play – and not a very interesting one.
★★
West End Wilma
Blessings is playing at Riverside Studios until 26 October 2025
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