Here masculinity is about winning; achieving manliness is only possible by proving yourself more manly than another man. In what was for me the most interesting act, the narrative is placed on hold as actors break character, creating playful metaphorical potential. They argue about who should say the best lines in a hilariously measured game of one-upmanship that brutally reflects the reality of masculine anxiety that tries to continually affirm itself by belittling others. Violence is the only escape. The manuscript is cast onto the stage in plain view as if to suggest to the audience that however long social laws have been written, they can always be scribbled out and changed. This said, the scripted corpsing did stretch on for too long and caused a dip in momentum and rhythm that had been so well established in earlier scenes.

Through wildly innovative storytelling, an important lesson that How To Beat Up Your Dad teaches is not, in fact, how to beat up your dad (apologies to those who were misled by the title), but that inherited trauma isn’t necessarily an easy fix. It shows us that trauma is messy and that we need to address the stories we tell ourselves about our own baggage before we can hope to understand.

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Getting tickets to see this bewitching dark comedy really is a wise move- keep your eyes peeled for the future work of Caravan Guys because this exciting new company will have big things to come.

Photographer: Summer Dean, courtesy of Caravan Guys