A warm, touching, and “American to the core” story – all about the preparations to have a baby and the decisions related to this huge event. Extremely relatable comedy, with dialogues sounding so natural, it feels as if you’re peeking into your neighbours’ apartment and just listening in to a real conversation. If you’re in your 30s or 40s, this production could probably hit way too close to home than you would expect!
Let’s be real – if you’re in your prime “babymaking” years, for sure you have thought about the pros and cons of having a kid of your own. Conversations about these crucial life plans are naturally a very private event, so creating a play based solely on the stress and uncertainty related to getting pregnant and getting a baby sounded like an intriguing idea.
Over Here Theatre Company (with a cast of American actors based in the UK) creates a touching and painfully relevant show, that eventually leaves the audience with a wide smile, and a ton of thoughts to go over on a way home. We follow Kate and Guy, a Brooklyn-based couple, on their way from the initial idea of expanding their family, through the process of getting pregnant and whole crucial 9 months of their lives.
Kate seems the person with more certainty about the decision, while Guy struggles to come to terms with the uncertainties of the whole process. His character is cleverly expanded on, as we follow Guy at his favourite pastime – horse race betting. Numbers and calculated probabilities give him peace of mind while getting pregnant (especially at 40+) seems like a risk that is so unexpected, it just slides out of his hands. But if the future can’t be fully controlled, is it even worth taking the risk?
Guy (Cory English) is splendid as a slightly lost, awkward chap who just wants what’s best for his partner (and very much, himself as well). He has shown such a warm, real emotional connection on the stage with Kate (Christy Mayer). I’ve missed seeing this type of bond on stage – a close, plain-spoken relationship, that focuses on the friendship factor of the mature, long-term affinity.
Mayer shines as a woman who knows what she wants, but at the same time gets overwhelmed by the novelty of pregnancy-related knowledge and the scares that come with it. She excels at showcasing the full range of emotions of an expectant mother, from the initial excitement, through the first visits to the doctor and creating a wishlist of baby items.
Maria Teresa Creasey (Zoey) and Lance C. Fuller (Hugh) are entertaining as a reliable support system of friends for the main characters. As experienced parents themselves, they deliver some spot-on baby-related tips and jokes and balance the stress that builds up as we get closer and closer to the delivery date.
The stage set is a crafty display of two apartments: a pre-baby and a post-baby one. It helps to quickly locate the place of action and creates a space where toys and sippy cups are used as hilarious props. The change of set from one room to another takes a good 20 seconds and is performed multiple times – but I have to admit, it does get a tad annoying after the first time.
The show is all about parenting, and I was impressed with how much the cast and creatives lived and breathed the theme – as parents themselves. There are 2 special parent-baby matinees of the show, accommodating new parents wanting to experience the production. Such a wonderful idea!
“Maybe, Probably” is a fun, light-hearted way to approach the topic of getting pregnant, having a baby, and generally turning the whole life upside-down. Delivered using an array of jokes, balanced out with scarily accurate conversations, this show creates a great space for post-show conversations which you may have been putting off for later for a while. A fun evening at the theatre for both parents and people who never want to have anything to do with kids!
Details:
“Maybe, Probably” by Over Here Theatre
Christy Meyer as Kate
Cory English as Guy
Lance C. Fuller as Hugh
Maria Teresa Creasey as Zoey
CREATIVE TEAM
Playwright – Eric Henry Sanders
Director – Lydia Parker
Set & Costume Designer – Stella Backman
Lighting Designer – Jonathan Chan
Sound Designer – Michael Crean
Production & Stage Manager – Willow Weston
Producer – Antonia Georgieva
“Maybe, Probably” plays at the Old Red Lion Theatre, 20 September to 15 October 2022
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