In a recent review of shows by new-dad comedians, New York Times writer Jason Zinoman said: “There are an endless variety of boring people, but none are more brazenly tedious than parents telling you about their kids.”
A close runner-up might be parents talking about how having kids affected their marriage.
If you’re going to make drama out of near-universal experiences, you’d better provide a fresh approach that steers clear of clichés.
Bad Parent co-stars Raugi Yu (left) and Josette Jorge bring considerable charisma to their dual roles, but there is little to root for in their relationship. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press)
Bad Parent, Prairie Theatre Exchange’s long-awaited return to live theatre, does not do that. The two-hander from Ins Choi (Kim’s Convenience) — a co-production with Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre — is well-performed, well-produced and sporadically amusing, but says absolutely nothing you haven’t heard before in a wittier, more insightful way.
Norah (Josette Jorge) and Charles (Raugi Yu) are parents to an 18-month-old boy (insert tired jokes about how babies’ ages are measured in months here).
Sophie Tang’s set features a wall of cube shelving, some squares filled with adult decor and others overflowing with stuffies and other toddler-related detritus, effectively underscoring the way parenthood has taken over their previous life.
The couple are feeling the strain on their marriage, largely owing to their different parenting styles: She’s adamant about breastfeeding, he’s fine with formula; she coddles the baby, he prefers to “challenge” his son.
There’s little in the way of plot here; Bad Parent is mostly just a recitation of grievances and somewhat trite observations about mothers-in-law (Norah hates hers, quelle surprise), lack of ambition (Charles is a stereotypical man-child, an artist who isn’t living up to his potential) and IKEA furniture. It’s relatable, but far from artful.
Norah goes back to work and hires a Filipina nanny (called Nora with no H, she’s also played by Jorge). Charles (obviously) likes the fact that Nora takes care of him and defers to him and feeds him; he embarks on a project to launch a food truck with her.
But there are no stakes here, no buildup. Norah’s flirtation with her officemate Dale (deftly played by Yu with a teasing “work husband” vibe) goes nowhere meaningful, and her revelation that paid employment has more tangible rewards than the emotional labour of motherhood is hardly news.
To their credit, Jorge and Yu bring considerable charisma to their dual roles, but Choi unfortunately gives us very little to root for in their relationship, no glimpse of affection.
Other than a quick rundown of their first meeting — the details of which they bicker over — Norah and Charles spend most of the play’s 90-minute runtime (no intermission) sniping at each other in person and denigrating each other to the audience when they’re alone (the fourth-wall-breaking show sees the characters directly addressing and responding to the crowd, perhaps as a stand-in for the pressures of performing for social media).
The way their relationship is portrayed, Norah and Charles aren’t so much bad parents as they are a bad match.
Twitter: @dedaumier
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Jill Wilson
Senior copy editor
Jill Wilson writes about culture and the culinary arts for the Arts & Life section.
