Theatre review: The Fever Syndrome

Hampstead Theatre may now be run by Roxana Silbert but some things don't change, and it remains London's main home for That American Play Where An Extended Family Gets Together After A Long Time, Preferably At Thanksgiving But That’s Optional. Silbert herself directs the latest iteration of a play every American playwright seems, for some reason, to be legally obligated to write and just change the character names. The twist is Alexis Zegerman isn't even American so The Fever Syndrome is... a tribute act maybe? It does tick every other box, including the ever-popular Asshole Genius add-on feature, as the excuse for bringing three siblings and their partners to the New York brownstone they grew up in is their father receiving a lifetime achievement award. Richard (Robert Lindsay) is an obstetrician and IVF pioneer, who still bears a grudge against the Republicans for delaying his research on religious grounds, meaning Britain beat America to the first test tube baby.

It's only one of many grievances - always an angry man and a bullying father, he's now in the late stages of Parkinson's, and has scared off every carer, leaving only his third wife Megan (Alexandra Gilbreath) to look after him.

Dot (Lisa Dillon,) his daughter from his first marriage, has arrived with her husband Nate (Bo Poraj,) and their teenage daughter Lily (Nancy Allsop,) who has a rare genetic condition that causes sudden, life-threatening fevers. Dot has become obsessed with having another child through IVF, but testing the frozen embryos first to make sure they use a healthy one. Tom (Alex Waldmann,) a son from the second marriage, is an artist whose lack of a scientific mind was a constant disappointment to his father growing up. He's there with his boyfriend Phillip (Jake Fairbrother,) who's meeting the family for the first time. And Tom's twin Anthony (Sam Marks) is the favourite son, particularly with his stepmother - his flirtatious relationship with Megan immediately raises some eyebrows.

There's a lovely three-story set from Lizzie Clachan, which places every room of the house inside its own picture frame, and gives good sightlines even from the back of the auditorium. There's also strong performances all round, and anyone who's ever wanted to see Waldmann get off with Fairbrother, or Marks' arse in very tight white trousers, will at least get that consolation. But as for the play itself, it so fully embraces every cliché of the genre that I struggled to find anything at all to distinguish it. I mean I know That American Play Where An Extended Family Gets Together After A Long Time, Preferably At Thanksgiving But That’s Optional has become a running joke round these parts but this is taking the piss.

So I couldn't help but laugh right in the closing moments when (Spoiler Alert, I guess?) we get a very offhand "by the way I lost all our money" "yeah, I know." Because I certainly knew from the moment Anthony bounded onstage singing and dancing and was treated as if he could do no wrong, that he'd bankrupted the family. Just like I knew when we found out that this was the longest relationship that the gay son had ever had, that the boyfriend would have left the house, never to be seen again, halfway through the second act. And this also being an Asshole Genius play, I knew that despite the father being at the very minimum emotionally abusive to his children, we'd discover that He'd Loved Them In His Own Way All Along, and be expected to be moved. And no, it doesn't take place at Thanksgiving but yes, they do still talk about Thanksgiving a lot.

Maybe if you've never seen That American Play Where An Extended Family Gets Together After A Long Time, Preferably At Thanksgiving But That’s Optional before this would be a really moving evening. I genuinely don't know if the fact that it left me so cold and downright bored means it's an especially egregious example of the genre, or if I've just seen so many variants of it I've lost all tolerance. I guess we'll find out when the next one rolls along - I can't imagine we'll have to wait long.

The Fever Syndrome by Alexis Zegerman is booking until the 30th of April at Hampstead Theatre.

Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes including interval.

Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz.