★★★★★
The restaging of Housemates at the Sherman Theatre is a powerful, inspiring and insightful true story that tells the story of the Ely Hospital—a former psychiatric hospital in Ely, Cardiff. We follow Jim: a slightly naive, well-meaning student activist, who discovers the extent to which the Ely residents are restricted and mistreated within the care of the hospital. Jim meets Alan, a long-term resident with Down’s Syndrome, and the play follows as the two of them begin a campaign to allow for shared housing, in which students and residents can live together, and develop a new style of social care.
For me, the stand-out element of the play was the relationship between Jim and Alan. Peter Mooney and Gareth John complement each other astoundingly in these roles, with their dynamic playing as funny, sweet, and sincere throughout. John’s outstanding delivery and comedic timings make simple punch lines into huge laughs for the crowd. Mooney carefully navigates the subjects of social care and disability, retaining a likeable and engaging (albeit naive) protagonist throughout. Mooney and John’s on-stage dynamic brought both laughter and tears for the audience, and for me they were truly the stand-out element of the play.
The staging of the play was thoughtful, using the Sherman Theatre to its full potential. Visually, my favourite moment was the montage in which it is revealed the wider impacts of Jim and Alan’s campaign, as characters throw papers one by one, signifying the closure of psychiatric facilities nationwide. This moment is certainly not the most emotionally charged of the show, but, nonetheless, brought a lump to my throat. The staging, delivery and music created such a powerful moment on stage that the audience could not help but break into rapturous applause.
I would be remiss to not mention the use of 70s rock music that punctuated the play. The band, onstage as the audience entered, began with a pre-show concert. The vocals of Emily Ivana Hawkins blew me away, as she belted out Blondie while playing guitar. Undoubtedly music plays a vital role within the play, as it ends with an infectiously joyous number played by Alan and the Housemates. The use of music throughout the production is poignant, as it becomes a symbol for rebellion and freedom for Alan and the residents of Ely Hospital. It is difficult to classify Housemates with regards to music—the rock punctuates the show, and becomes a symbol for rebellion, but I would not put it in the traditional “musical” category.
Any musical sceptics should not be deterred—each musical moment is well calculated and feels completely justified. Housemates ran from the 22nd of February to the 8th of March at the Sherman, but if you missed it, it is touring at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre (27–29 March) and the Torch Theatre (2–4 April). I cannot recommend seeing it highly enough.