Directed, written and performed by Nir Paldi and George Mann, No Kids is the latest play from the award-winning Bristol-based company Ad Infinitum. In their previous productions either Paldi or Mann took responsibility for creating a show, with the other partner in support. In contrast, No Kids is very much a joint venture, and one that presents us with theatricalised versions of the real-life Paldi and Mann asking themselves if they should venture into parenthood. We see them wrestle with this question, and arguing over how best to convey their doubts and fears to the audience. At times they dance in joyous unison; on other occasions they shout angrily, and furniture is overturned.
Some of the issues they raise are relevant to any couple considering having a child: Is it an ecologically defensible step to take when the planet is already so overcrowded? Is caring for a child compatible with our lifestyle? What kind of parents would we be? Can we afford it? There is a very funny sequence of rhyming verse that lists all the products that a parent might be tempted to buy, from breast pumps to bicycles, all delivered with appropriate gestures. They have a flight of fancy where they imagine themselves being so brilliant as fathers that they become world-famous parenting gurus. Much of the humour of this show comes from their capacity to take every idealistic hope or doom-laden dread to an extreme. In one apocalyptically pessimistic sequence they imagine that the child could become a drug addict, a serial killer, or even a new Hitler.
Paldi and Mann have some questions to address that are specifically relevant for a same-sex couple. Would having a child merely be a sop to appease heterosexual ‘normality’? How would a son react to having two fathers? Who would act as a role model if the child was a girl? No Kids becomes most intensely personal when they consider adoption. What threatening questions about their past might be raised at an adoption interview? What traumas did they experience, and how well have they dealt with them? There are poignant, bitter recollections of vicious bullying, of social isolation, and of fraught attempts to come out as gay.
Paldi and Mann are very engaging performers who succeed in conveying a dramatically heightened version of themselves with great energy and skill, and they are particularly adept at expressing emotion through dance. Clever use is made of racks of costumes that enable the performers to take on a multiplicity of roles, including a memorable appearance by Madonna. A happy balance is usually struck between serious debate and comic fancy, though there are one or two occasions when the dialogue becomes a pedagogic trawl through issues relating to parenthood. Though it explores some dark territory, No Kids is more often noisy, physical fun, and it rattles along at a tremendous pace. The eighty minutes fly by. Do they resolve the question whether or not to have a child? You will have to see No Kids to find out. ★★★★☆ Mike Whitton 28th February 2019
Photo by and © Alex-Brenner
