Review: DAD

📍 Golden Goose Theatre

🗓️ 29th September 2026

🎟️ PR Invite

Dad is a new play written by David Solomon and produced by Cellar Door Theatre Company. The 80-minute production follows three estranged brothers who are forced to come together when their father goes missing. Yet no one is completely devastated by the news, and it soon becomes clear that there are more truths to be unearthed as the evening goes on, eventually coming to a head in an explosive and emotional ending.

The show is set in Nathan's garden as he nervously awaits the arrival of his two brothers. He paces around the set, which is laid out to successfully depict and support the scenes throughout the evening – a garden table and chairs, a plant pot, grass and leaves on the ground and the sound of birds chirping. As each brother arrives, we learn a little more about their relationship with their father, each other and what caused them to drift apart over the years. However, there is an underlying tension between them that cannot be ignored.

Each brother brings something a bit different to the atmosphere, with their distinct personalities coming through, and it's intriguing to watch them learn how to interact and become comfortable in each other's presence once again.

Nathan (David Solomon) is a very likeable character, and you cannot help but root for him as we learn more about his past. Having looked after his father for the past eight years, it's clear that he is struggling with how to handle his disappearance and looks to his brothers for guidance. Aaron (Ivan Kaye) is the first brother to arrive, and from the moment he steps onstage, you immediately notice the difference in his personality compared to Nathan. Bubbly, loud and full of mischief, he brings an incredible amount of humour to an incredibly tense situation. As their half-brother Karl (Nigel Betts) arrives, the atmosphere once again changes, leading to more heated and direct conversations. It's fascinating to watch their dynamic change throughout the evening.

The three actors bounce off each other extremely well, creating a realistic depiction of brothers with very different personalities, but whose lives have all been affected by the trauma inflicted by their father. Throughout the evening, they reminisce about old times, drink whiskey, bond and make fun of each other, but tensions remain high, giving a sense that anyone could lash out at any minute. Solomon, Kaye and Betts handle these shifts in mood wonderfully, really pulling you into their story and making you want to know more about what happened to tear them all apart.

The arrival of Leila (Joanne Arber), Nathan's ex-wife, deepens the story further and brings another level of intrigue to the evening, as does the unexpected arrival of their son, Daniel (Paul Kelvin). Arber does a fantastic job of depicting the trauma that Alistair, Nathan's father, has inflicted on her, playing the role with exceptional raw emotion and passion. The arrival of Daniel did seem a little convenient in the moment, considering no one had seen each other for years and suddenly they were all gathered in Nathan's garden. However, I do understand the relevance of this in moving the story forward and allowing us to see another layer of Nathan's story, although I did feel it broke up the momentum of the piece.

Jerry Ezekiel, as father Alistair, plays his role as an unlikeable and vicious man incredibly well. His presence further supports the underlying tension throughout the performance and brings the story to a shocking climax as further revelations come to light.

Brittany Rex's direction is wonderful, with the cast making great use of the Golden Goose Theatre space. Actors enter the stage area from either side of the room, creating quite an immersive experience and, with the lighting quite bright, you almost feel like you are eavesdropping on a neighbour's garden. The pacing of the show overall is good, although there were moments towards the middle where it felt like the story wasn't really going anywhere. With revelation after revelation, it felt like there was a lot being packed into the story with no clear resolution. However, this had minimal impact on my enjoyment of the show as it builds to an explosive end. It is clear that the build-up throughout the evening reveals the underlying trauma that each family member has experienced due to Alistair's actions and how this has impacted their lives.

The play also balances comedy and tension well throughout, sometimes jumping quite dramatically between the two, but it works well for these characters and their complicated relationships and ensures that, despite all the underlying tension, it never feels too heavy.

DAD is a really enjoyable play with a great story arc, well-developed characters and a great cast who work well together to deliver a passionate and emotional performance.