Tom Nemec has an undeniably compelling stage presence and his solo show outlines the many hardships he faced growing up. An alcoholic father. An abusive mother. A dysfunctional family. And a system that seemed wholly uninterested in helping, or even listening to him. As undeniably traumatic as these experiences were for him, the show itself never quite coalesces into anything more than a one-sided therapy session. A lack of a coherent structure or strong thematic devices leave things feeling a little disjointed. I’m glad he is moving forward with his life, that he feels able to share these stories, and I hope doing so helps him find peace. But as a piece of theatre, I found it lacking.

theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall, until 15 Aug.
tw rating 2/5 | [Andy Leask]