Night, Mother at Hampstead Theatre

Night, Mother begins with a declaration that no parent wants to hear: “I’m going to kill myself, Mamma”, Jessie announces one evening as her mother, Thelma, reminds her to order more Hershey Bars from the supermarket. “But I’m going to do what I can before I go. We’re not just going to sit around tonight”. What follows is a hauntingly heavy evening, where a desperate mother pleads a daughter to stay in a world she finds cold and inhospitable, and a daughter begs her mother not to save her but to understand. 

The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama from Marsha Norman first graced the main stage at Hampstead Theatre in 1985. 35 years later, the play’s bleak depiction of mental health and conflicting family relationships feels a little stilted. This is somewhat surprising, given the timely nature of the production’s return to the stage. After all, a story that focuses on isolation and the implications it has on mental health should feel all too familiar in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, there seems to be something of a distance between the audience and the story being told – a clear indication that the discourse surrounding mental health on the stage has shifted significantly. 

Nevertheless, if accepted for what it is (a quiet and tense depiction of a mother-daughter relationship) the production remains enthralling, largely due to the stellar performances from Rebecca Night and Stockard Channing as Jessie and Thelma. Throughout, Night brings a disturbing sense of calm and finality to Jessie, wherein her emotions are constantly threatening to spill over. As a result, the performance feels much more realistic than overly emotive presentations of spiralling mental health. Channing is no stranger to excellence, with a decades-long career on both stage and screen to prove it. As a result, it’s hardly surprising that her heart-wrenching portrayal of Thelma breathes new energy into the script. 

With thoughtful and sensitive direction from Roxana Silbert and homely stage design from Ti Green, Night, Mother brings a certain solemnity to a night at the theatre – but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Stories about mental health are more important than ever, and the severity echoed in the production is reminiscent of real struggles. Therefore, as the audience aches for a reprieve from the tension, the small moments of the comedy in the script only offer a few seconds of release before we are drawn back into the dark once again. 

In short, Night, Mother is a powerful production that addresses the need for better mental health support – both when the text was written and in the present day. 

Abbie Grundy

Night, Mother is at Hampstead Theatre from 22^nd October until 4^th December 2021. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.