‘A reflective, compassionate exploration of a modern family life’
As winter loosens its grip and blue skies return to the capital, the arrival of a new play at the Donmar Warehouse feels especially restorative. Anna Ziegler, who enjoyed notable West End success with her Photograph 51, returns with Evening All Afternoon for its world premiere, writes Christopher Peacock.
The play centres on Jennifer and Delilah; they are divided not only in age but also in their world view and culture too. Jennifer, an older British woman tentatively entering into a new chapter of her life following her marriage to Delilah’s father, and Delilah, a young art student of British and Jamaican descent raised on the East Coast of the United States, now transplanted to London by her father upon the passing away of her mother. Their dynamic is shaped by conventional tensions of step-parent and step-child, but it is how they navigate grief that we see worked on and worked out between them. Jennifer, played by Anastasia Hille, is cautious and self-aware, painfully conscious that she cannot simply assume the role of mother. Delilah, meanwhile, is restless and struggling with navigating modern life with such loss.
Ziegler’s writing is sharp and frequently witty, with humour that deftly punctures the tension without tipping the play into the macabre. While some lines flirt with cliché, they land with the audience and provide welcome levity. The emotional strength of the piece lies in its even-handedness; both Jennifer and Delilah are granted depth and dignity, and the psychological complexity of the stepmother–stepdaughter bond is thoughtfully explored beyond familiar tropes.
Directed by Diyan Zora, the inherent stillness of a one-act, two-hander occasionally surfaces. Zora’s use of a revolve to animate quieter moments feels at times heavy-handed, drawing attention to itself rather than deepening the drama, though moments of shadow play add texture and visual interest to some of the direct monologues. Performance-wise, the production is increasingly well pitched, with particular tenderness in Hille’s portrayal of Jennifer as she navigates Delilah’s grief, matched perfectly against Erin Kellyman’s raw young woman.
Ziegler’s script touches on family politics, identity, generational difference, and even the lingering shadow of COVID-19, which adds another layer of shared trauma. At its heart, the play suggests what we instinctively know but often resist: relationships cannot be willed into harmony through private thought alone; the work must be done aloud, through difficult, vulnerable communication. Ultimately, Evening All Afternoon is a reflective, compassionate exploration of a modern family life and a difficult relationship, imperfect in places but aware that understanding must be spoken into being.
Donmar Warehouse until April 11th.
Booking and full ddetails: www.donmarwarehouse.com
