REVIEW: Daughter at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Though these societal problems require conversation the whole setting of this work felt misplaced and unsettling.  ★

The play is a one man show that offers a perspective on fatherhood, gender and extreme misogyny. This production starts as a story of what seems to be an ordinary man simply trying to do his best then descends into something quite different indeed. During the first section of the play, it briefly looks at partnership and a couple as they’re about to embark on their journey into parenting. The initial 20 minutes was the seemingly best part: it met real life moments with some humour and relatability. Additionally to this, there was a small recognition of how female patients can be treated in hospitals and the medical profession.

After this, the show spirals into an unnerving frenzy that discusses various genres of porn, sex parties and gender based violence in explicit detail. The majority of the production seemed to be stuffed with overly long, graphic and disturbing stories that lacked direction and had no correlation to parenting. While the intention may have been to create a kind of shock factor towards a statement about male identity, it came across as uncomfortable, insensitive and offensive. This unfiltered material seemed to alienate the audience rather than garner much of a rapport with theatregoers. 

Though these societal problems require conversation the whole setting of this work felt misplaced and unsettling. This could do with several cuts, a rewrite and lots of redirection. With such changes we might be able to somewhat empathise with the character and story. Daughter ends solutionless, and leaves the audience wondering of its meaning and intention. 

 DAUGHTER by Adam Lazarus

Presented by Little Lion Theatre Company

at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 3 - 7 February 2026

Photography: Pacifica Zhang