Jesus, Jane, Mother and Me starts off as a quirky and energetically-performed one-man play, but ends up taking delightful twists that lead to a nuanced and haunting tale. The story; Daniel Valentine has returned home on Mother’s Day to reconcile long years of estrangement from his mother following tumultuous years of neglectful relationships and a harrowing school life, through which one of Daniel’s only joys was witnessing diva Jane perform. Philip Stokes keenly captures the euphoria of idol worship from a subjective point of view while showing the powerful, dark undercurrent of a dysfunctional family relationship.
For 70 minutes, actor Jack Stokes monologues while in a set littered with fascinating details that become explained as the play evolves and the story of Daniel’s life with his mother, Jane and the Church is unravelled. Stokes’ performance as Daniel Valentine is initially exuberant. In a powerful moment after being taunted for his behaviour, Daniel proclaims; ‘I’m not ‘affected’, I know what I am’. Initially a concern is stirred over the length of this dramatic charade, but Jack Stokes skillfully employs mannerisms that herald a turn in character – perhaps revealing something more true about the nature of people and trauma, and the masks they use to feign wellness.
What was particularly tactful was the handling of religious themes. The narrative is neither evangelicalist or staunchly atheist, but instead is an entertaining case study into the religious beliefs of an extraordinary young man.
It’s impossible to enter Jesus, Jane, Mother and Me and expect how the story may unfold – and this is in a brilliant way. Though touching on an array of issues we see more closely examined as time goes on, Philip Stokes creates a unique narrative that gains power through Jack Stokes’ phenomenal and multi-layered acting.
Theatre Review by our Theatre Reviewer Jonah Zalick #OnePlymouth
