THE COMEUPPANCE
Image credit — Marc Brenner
The Comeuppance by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
“Is this what life is?” This is the question that Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play tries to find a conclusive answer to.
Jacobs-Jenkins’ dark comedy, confronts the reality of death and the tragedy of the millennial experience. Touching on identity, adulting and post-pandemic life, we see five thirty-something friends make a desperate attempt to recreate the conditions of a life they once enjoyed, in hopes that it will make their current circumstances more bearable.
The Comeuppance follows a group of millennials “pre-gaming” for a 20-year high school reunion at Ursula’s house (Tamara Lawrence), the mellow and level-headed glue of the group who dons an eye patch after partially losing her sight to diabetes. She is soon joined by struggling artist Emilio (Anthony Welsh) whose return from Europe acts as a catalyst for the play’s action, frustrated and overly-excited suburban housewife to an aged husband, Caitin (Yolanda Kettle), overworked doctor Christina (Katie Leung) and her troubled veteran cousin Paco (Ferdinand Kingsley). They gather on Ursula’s porch, where an American flag flutters defiantly from the roof, removing any doubt that this is an American story.
Before the action unfolds, we meet Death, the lingering sixth member of the entourage who informs us that they are here for “work”. Natasha Chivers’ lighting suspends the audience's belief, as the stage plunges into almost complete darkness and illuminates the “grim reaper”, as each member of the talented ensemble takes turns to embody the spirit of Death. We listen intently as Death monologues its way through each actor. Stepping out of the characters to deliver Death’s musings on the triviality of life and human beings’ relationship to death, eventually revealing to us the task he came to complete.
The characters reminisce and debate the memories of their high school days as they prepare to meet the rest of their graduating class. For some of the characters, this is a chance to relive their glory days, conveniently blurring over the finer details that make it a less positive experience for others.
Jacobs-Jenkins uses The Comeuppance as an opportunity to dissect the tragedy of the millennial experience. Events such as 9/11, Columbine, the Iraq War, the election of Donald Trump and most recently the Covid epidemic have been global disasters that have marked the life of the average American millennial. A relatable experience for that generation, the fickleness of mortality feels part and parcel of their lives and the play itself. The cast is stellar, with a standout performance from Kettle as Caitlin. Whilst the characters do feel like archetypes they are played extremely well and feel both authentic and complex. Eric Ting and Asha Jennings-Grant’s direction allows the cast to display impressive physical performances that oscillate between hilarious and extremely intense.
Arnulfo Mardano’s set is hyper-realistic, it feels as though we are watching a live recording of a multi-camera sitcom, aided by the magic and visual effects by Dr Will Houston, creating an atmosphere that was sometimes eerie and other times cosy and familiar.
Whilst generally enjoyable, there is no doubt that this is a play written for Americans, and there were moments that didn’t translate perfectly for a British audience. Additionally, there is little plot, so the play relies heavily on the characters' emotional journey. This is where the play loses steam at times, as it feels as though they are simply explaining and complaining about their lives and the state of the world, which makes it somewhat difficult to engage with.
The play speaks well to its target audience, millennials with a jaded and reluctantly hopeful outlook on the world, who find solace in the memories they share with their communities and friends, but also with an entire generation.
By Melody Adebisi
★★★☆☆
The Comeuppance is showing at the Almeida Theatre until 18 May.