Rating: 
Queer Content: 
Hunk Factor: 
Babe Factor: 
Jeffrey Solomon's Mother / Son is billed as semi-autobiographical and charts the complicated relationship between a man and his mother as she (and indeed he) comes to terms with his sexuality. Coming out is never the easiest thing to do, but throw religion into the mix and suddenly things can get even more fraught and emotional.
As you may have guessed from the name, Jeffrey Solomon is Jewish, and for a young Jewish boy whose mother is obsessed with marriage and family, revealing yourself as homosexual was never going to be easy.
Mother / Son is a one man show, but it's not a monologue - Solomon actually acts the roles of both man and mother. This sounds like risky stuff, and it does take a few minutes to get past the shock of his first sudden leap from thirtysomething male to fiftysomething female, but it's an amazing, riveting and moving performance.
Don't worry, there are no quick changes into frocks and dodgy wigs here, it's all done with voice and body language. Not a lot of people could carry this off, but Solomon is a great actor and portrays both characters with incredible insight and empathy. The stereotypical Jewish mother is often the butt of some good-natured comedy and this play is no different, but Solomon manages to move beyond that, offering two convincing portrayals that never fall into caricature.
Mother / Son is all pretty straightforward and simple stuff, but in many ways that is what make it such a powerful piece. The set is almost non existent, just a bed, some boxes, a chair and two telephones, so there's no gimmicks or trickery, just one man on a stage acting his socks off.
Most of the conversations take place over the telephone, revealing the constant toing and froing between the characters as they gradually learn more about themselves and each other, but Solomon consistently gets it spot on by concentrating on the little things - a pause there, a sigh here, it's all absolutely riveting. Hey, it may be a cliche, but there really are highs and lows, laughter and tears here - I noticed a number of audience members having a little wipe of the eyes during the closing few minutes and who can blame them - Mother / Son doesn't just pull on the heart strings, it positively yanks them with all its might.
The show has already been a big success on the other side of the Atlantic, with an Off-Broadway run and a national tour as well as award nominations, and Solomon has also been lauded for his TV work and other one-man performances. I thought he was fabulous, and I've been raving about this show all week to anyone that will listen.
It’s not often a play comes along that can have you laughing out loud one minute and sobbing the next, so take the opportunity to see this during its run at the Ocal House Theatre - it really is great stuff.
Read Our Interview With Jeffrey Solomon »
Click to read our interview with the gay performer.
Gallery
Trailer
Mother / Son, written and performed by Jeffrey Solomon
Oval House Theatre
52-54 Kennington Oval
London, SE11 5SW
020 7582 7680 / www.ovalhouse.com
11-29 May 2010
Photos by Gabriela Restelli