Worth
A few days ago, I went to see play Worth at Arcola Theatre. It is a dark comedy about inheritance and sibling rivalry in a British Chinese family. The day before their mother’s funeral, four siblings get together in their family home, expecting to find inheritance. They only find 44 pounds. Along the way, dark family secrets – childhood abuse, suicide and grievances – emerge.
The premise looked promising but sadly it didn’t quite deliver. The script, by Joanne Lau, lost its footing and slipped into a soap drama. Some of the tension felt contrived; certain details – the older brother having an affair with his younger brother’s wife – were unnecessary and the performances lacked subtly.
Nevertheless, I am glad that there is such a play about a British Chinese family.
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