Rose Maloney, her father Danny, and grandfather Brian would appear to have more in common than most family members.
The three of them all share the same birthday and consequently the same zodiac sign; but a few minutes into the Kate Mulvany’s penned family drama 'The Seed'; that seems to be where most of the similarities remain.
From the opening scene when Rose and her father Danny arrive at the doorstep of his family home in Nottingham, it is apparent that this is not going to be a typical family reunion. Soon, Geoff Kelso’s scene-stealing Brian enters the room. Like his son, Brian was also a soldier but for the IRA, and both father and son are still reconciling with the repercussions of their military careers; while it later becomes apparent Rose is withholding secrets of her own.
The entire play is set during one evening in the Maloney family home’s cluttered lounge room. Zoë Atkinson’s intimate set design serves as a fitting metaphor for the characters; who have little room to move around an array of furniture boxes stacked through the room; which forces them to face their inner demons, generational trauma and ultimately family members head on.
Image © Daniel J Grant
Geoff Kelso steals his scenes as the grumpy and impolitically correct patriarch with his witty one-liners and his “he did not just say that?” kind of remarks. Steve Turner delivers an achingly beautiful portrayal of Danny, who left Nottingham with dreams and has returned decades later a somewhat broken man with trauma, resentment, and unresolved issues. He looks hopeful to amend some of his own unresolved issues with his father, but by the end of the play he begins to realise how these issues are now bubbling to the surface into his own relationship with his daughter, Rose. Tegan Mulvany delivers a multi-dimensional performance as Rose; one who appears to be brimming with optimism at the opening of the show and then painfully reveals her own character’s flaws and issues.
Director Matt Edgerton has skilfully crafted an intimate yet gripping piece of theatre; that allows his cast to take the lead and bring these multi-dimensional characters and sensitive subject matters to life. Rooted in realism, the story will resonate with audiences with its relatability, moments of sincerity and touching points of generational humour – ultimately showing that maybe we all have more in common with our family members than we are first led to believe.
