Writer: Eliza Brown
Director: Toby Bruton
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Sniping Siblings“
3 / 5
George likes order and calm, Harriet is messy and chaotic – siblings from total opposite walks of life that haven’t lived together since they were younger, and are fast regretting their decision to do so now!
They get on well, but their polar opposite personalities lead to a LOT of clashes. Neither sibling is particularly likeable – George (Fraser Houston) is relatively stuck up and closed off, judgemental of Harriet’s friends and life choices. Harriet (Eliza Brown) is a scatty whirlwind, constantly picking up new hobbies and ideas, leaving a wake of destruction in her path when she moves on to the next best thing. Her current obsessions are veganism and activism, encouraged by her new friend Briony, much to George’s dismay. Deep down the pair are both struggling in one way or another, though neither would ever admit it, especially not to each other.
It’s an enjoyable enough show, that tackles a myriad of issues, although each of them are only referenced with quite a surface level approach. Grief is one of the overarching themes, and does get touched on at various points throughout, but the narrative surprisingly never fully explores it, which feels like a missed opportunity. Harriet’s best friend has passed away unexpectedly and George loses his favourite resident at the care home, so there are ample chances to delve into these losses but each time the remarks about ‘not crying’ or the siblings ‘struggle to talk’ are quite flippant, and although their stiff-upper lip approach and avoidance of the subject can be a symptom of grief itself, it ends up feeling slightly underwritten.
The bickering in the majority of the scenes starts to tire, although sibling clashes are relatable, and well portrayed by the pair, you can’t help but wish for a change in tone, because 80 minutes of sibling snipes do become somewhat repetitive. Though, Eliza Brown’s script does a great job of portraying a realistic family dynamic. There’s a whole world outside of Molly Payne’s well-designed living room set, which is the central point of each of their conversations, which allows the audience become a fly on the wall into their lives.
Overall, this is best described as a coming of age drama. The pair learn to live with each other, and themselves, navigate the burdens of adulthood, while trying their best to fulfil their hobbies and aspirations. An accurate potrayal of real life and real relationships that just needs a bit more focus.
Runs until 11th October 2025
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