Landing at the Old Red Lion Theatre this spring, this new play from Tim Graves leans into something more reflective. It’s about family, memory, identity, and the kind of emotional knots that don’t just untangle themselves because time has passed.
At the centre is Michael, a gay, middle-aged digital nomad who’s pulled back home from Peru after a family crisis. What he returns to isn’t straightforward. His father, Frank, once openly homophobic, is now living with early-stage dementia. And the man caring for him is Sandeep, a young gay Sikh man whose presence adds another layer to an already complicated dynamic.
It’s a set-up that could easily tip into melodrama, but this feels more considered than that. The story moves through three distinct perspectives, Frank’s shifting reality with Alzheimer’s, Michael’s immersion in Amazonian shamanism, and Sandeep’s Sikh faith. Together, they create something that’s less about neat answers and more about sitting with the messiness of it all.
There’s also a quiet bravery in the writing. It doesn’t rush to resolve the past or soften the edges of difficult relationships. Instead, it asks what care really looks like when history, identity and belief systems collide.
The cast brings that tension to life, with Edward Fisher as Michael, Christopher Poke as Frank, and Amrik Tumber as Sandeep. Under the direction of Jason Marc-Williams, it’s shaping up to be something intimate, human, and quietly affecting.
If you’re after theatre that gives you a bit more to chew on than the usual night out, this might be one to make time for.
Walking Each Other Home
Runs until Sat 16th May
Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse
For more info and booking: www.weareoldred.co.uk
