Walking Each other Home- by Tim Graves.

Walking Each Other Home is a play by Tim Graves set in the main character’s cottage, which is dilapidated and full of memories, nestled away in the deepest parts of rural Norfolk during the hottest summer heatwave on record.

Frank, played by Christopher Poke, is a homophobic senior citizen in his 70s who is in the early stages of dementia and is currently living on his own. His gay son, Michael (Edward Fisher), has been living in Peru as a digital nomad, and he decides to return to the family home to deal with issues arising from his father’s condition.

When Michael returns home, he discovers that his father has a gay Sikh carer, Sandeep (Amrik Tumber). Walking Each Other Home explores the relationships between the three characters, their past issues, and the dysfunctional relationship between father and son. Just because people are related doesn’t mean they understand or like each other!

However, it is clear to Michael that his father’s dementia may be worse than he first thought, as Frank sees people who aren’t there and, at times, slips back into his childhood, randomly singing the nursery rhymes he learned during those days.

The audience learns that, in addition to Michael having a homophobic father, Sandeep also had a homophobic father who is now dead, which gives Michael and Sandeep something in common, in addition to being gay. As the play progresses, they begin to get on better, although Michael initially distrusted Sandeep.

Perhaps this play tries to tackle too many issues within the two-hour performance, and it can become muddled in places. However, from my observation, it appeared to attract quite a diverse audience.