Here’s a perfect prop for farce: a huge, baby-blue birthing pool, stubbornly resisting inflation, plonked in the new home of soon-to-be parents Jen (Laura Main) and Mark (Sam Alexander). And over there is a faulty fuse box, a misbehaving floorboard and a homemade badger trap. What to expect when you’re expecting? In this case you’d assume some deliriously silly pratfalls and heartwarming comedy but the new play by Broadchurch creator and former Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall never quite delivers.
In a drama that plays out in just about real time, the opening scenario will be familiar to many. How, after nine months of planning, can you still feel quite so unprepared for the main event? And how can anyone possibly be ready for the terrifying responsibilities of parenthood anyway? Jen proves more pragmatic and focused while Mark spirals from fretting about the tens machine to declaring himself a failed dad before the baby’s even born.
