Written by Kieran Hurley

Directed by Roxana Silbert

Immediately, you get a sense of what Adults is aiming towards.

Between the spilt Yazoo (Strawberry flavour, nice), an exceptionally humorous set-up and an almost too perfectly designed dreary set from Anna Orton, Keiran Hurley’s newest piece wants to punctuate the outdated attitudes of sex work with some gags, and an intriguing and captivating twist.

But then Adults tries to grow up and it becomes more jarring than it intends to be.

What follows is Hurley’s balancing act of two productions smashed into one: a sexual farce with plenty of dildo jokes and jabs at generational as a mid-life crisis finds a respected teacher foraying into the world of brothels and sex workers (magnificently played by Conleth Hill, capturing both the exacerbation of the scenario and the lunacy of it all). It collides with a severe and potentially even poignant drama that finds a generation of students confronting the monikers of their future, those who promised to set them up for the world, leaving them with the skills to help, but a world too damaged to even start.

As a drama, it has potential. As a comedy, it has equally as much chance. Together though, the two styles neutralise the other’s potency.

Roxana Silbert’s direction does solid work with the three-hander cast, all bringing their absolute all to attempt to tie the comedic elements and dramatic elements together. The sudden viciousness in Hill’s remarks of the new generation’s fascination with being ‘special’ is balanced with Hayward’s terrific characterisation, manipulations, and even playfulness. While Dani Heron is the glue for the production – a tremendously authentic performance one which is easy for the audience to get behind and align themselves with the plot.

But introducing that third element does little favour, as Zara leaves the narrative, and Jay (Anders Hayward) finally arrives with an unexpected guest, his baby. Shifting now into a two-hander between Hill and Hayward, Urquhart’s first experience with gay sex begins to flutter and introduce new humorous and more physical elements of the farce, as conversations about parenting and the shortcomings of each generation adequately prepare for their children. Rich and intense, the questions and ideas are plentiful and handled by the cast, but the mixed tone can’t quite grasp as tightly as it ought: neither the drama nor the comedy complements one another, surprisingly.

The components are all present, but the finished production feels neutered – as if the humour and drama had been too intense, too funny or engaging and brought down to a more tepid level. Effectively staged, with engaging performances from all involved, Adults still have some growing to do before it takes as big a bite as it wishes to.