Flanked by Jida Akil’s set of plastic windows, Naomi Denny and LJ Johnson play sisters in Denny’s debut play, All The Happy Things, now running at Soho Upstairs.
Billed as a ‘dark comedy’, this play covers the topic of grief in all its forms tackling a family death, aging parents, a romantic break-up, and work burnout.
Directed by Lucy Jane Atkinson with movement by Yemurai Zvayara, All The Happy Things follows Sienna (Denny) as she tries to come to terms with the sudden death of her sister, Emily (Johnson).
It’s clear they were close siblings, and also clear that Emily was the ‘golden child’ in many ways, as the one always asked after by their ailing father as he hardly recognises Sienna.
Both Denny’s writing and her acting performance are beautifully judged, with the writing navigating a brisk comic tone with a touching reality about dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Characters we don’t see – Dad, Sienna’s mum, an underperforming work colleague who still gets given plum projects, the care home manager – are defined well by description or voiceover.
Johnson (very good as the resentful lost sister) portrays Emily’s ex-girlfriend Ruby with a change of posture and attitude, drawing out her own grief at dealing with break-up and bereavement within just two weeks.
The only men on stage are both played by Dejon Mullings. Sienna’s boyfriend Sam is the type to be supportive and understanding, whether rebuilding a music playlist or quietly helping out behind the scenes.
In contrast, her boss Kevin is a typical faux caring type who promotes other men beyond their ability while patronising Sienna for her mental state. In giving Sienna and Emily a shorthand of physical language that binds them together, it doesn’t seem odd that Sienna is seeing and talking with a ghost.
As we explore the bond between sisters that suddenly stops, All The Happy Things tease out the rivalries and intensities that only exist between siblings, albeit ones, as here, with different mothers (one aspect of the play I felt was unnecessary and weakened the flow a little).
A repeated motif around Emily’s death is both shocking and stupifiying (accident? suicide?), and the ending is deeply effective. This is a play that has considerable depth and courage, and it captures a common theme in an interesting way.
All The Happy Things continues at Soho Upstairs until 26 Apr – tickets here before transferring to the Edinburgh Fringe.
4 stars.
Image credit: Alex Brenner