An entertaining comedy that gives a very honest take on modern parenting
The multi-award winning The Wardrobe Ensemble are known for creating theatre that pulls apart everyday social situations and turns them into chaos, and Party Season does exactly that. Written and devised by the company and directed by Helena Middleton and Jesse Jones, the production takes something as ordinary as a children’s birthday party and turns it into a very funny look at modern parenting and social pressure.
The play follows Xander over one exhausting weekend as he juggles parenting duties, old friendships and a group of parents who all seem desperate to prove they are doing life better than everyone else. The situations feel exaggerated at times, but there is still something very relatable about all of it.
A lot of the comedy comes from the completely different parenting styles on display. One set of parents are horrified by sugar, E numbers and anything remotely messy, while others are much more relaxed and happy to let the kids run wild. The contrast between the two creates some of the funniest moments in the show because it never feels forced. It captures that strange competitiveness around parenting where every tiny decision somehow becomes a statement.
The WhatsApp group scenes are especially funny because they feel so real. Everyone has either been trapped in one of those chats or knows somebody who has. The production leans into how intense parents can become in those spaces, constantly overthinking messages and trying to come across well to people they barely even like.
Tom England gives a strong performance as Xander. He manages to make the character frustrating while still keeping enough vulnerability underneath it all. Fowzia Mirza brings warmth to Bea and gives the play some of its more grounded moments. Jesse Meadows and Ben Vardy are brilliant as the painfully organised parents who clearly think they have parenting completely figured out. Their passive aggressive interactions with the other adults had the audience laughing throughout.
The staging by Bronia Housman works really well. The use of the doors throughout the production was one of the most interesting parts for me. Characters constantly move in and out of them as conversations overlap and tensions rise. It keeps the pace moving and adds to the feeling of everyone being pulled in different directions at once.
What works best about Party Season is that it feels quite different from a lot of comedies around at the moment. There are some genuinely clever ideas in it. The humour comes more from observation than big punchlines. It understands exactly how ridiculous adult social situations can become, especially when everyone is exhausted and trying to present themselves as holding it all together.
The final section does become more serious and, for me, it loses a little bit of the humour there. The shift into the themes around fatherhood and Xander’s relationship with his dad makes sense within the story, but it feels slightly underdeveloped compared to the sharper observations earlier in the production. The play is strongest when it fully leans into the awkwardness, competitiveness and chaos of the parties themselves.
Party Season is sharp, funny and packed with relatable moments that had the audience laughing.
Party Season is running until 16th May at The Lowry, Salford and continues its tour at Bristol Old Vic 21-23 May. Tickets here.