Andy Sandberg's play Affluenza begins with a car crash and then becomes one itself. The initial setup shows some coherence: Dylan, the son of a filthy rich family, played by Netflix star Noah Schnapp, has killed two people and injured several others while drink-driving. At their Hamptons home, his parents discuss his defence with a high-profile lawyer. They deny he did anything wrong – “people died, he didn’t kill them” – and throw money at the problem, hoping it goes away. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Dylan plays Nintendo upstairs.
An intriguing premise unravels
The play invokes a legal defence similar to the “affluenza” concept, where a crime is blamed on wealthy parents who failed to teach their child right from wrong. This setup has parallels to the hit-and-run case involving teenager Harry Dunn and Anne Sacoolas. The moral dilemma is promising, with echoes of victim culture.
However, just as the court case is about to unfold, it is reported to be over within a minute. Under Sandberg's direction, the plot then veers into the bizarre. After the interval, the action jumps several decades. Dylan, now played by Rupert Young (who played the lawyer in the first half), is a middle-aged divorcee, while Schnapp plays his 17-year-old son, Todd.
Reality TV satire and bit-parts
Dylan has repurposed his past for a reality TV show, and what follows is a satire of the genre. A TV producer choreographs the action, Todd wants no part of it, and a cameraman lip-syncs to Joan Osborne's One of Us for no apparent reason. Dry ice emanates from the wings.
Schnapp, star of Stranger Things, faced backlash for comments after the 7 October Hamas attacks, but the Israel-Palestine conflict is the least of his problems here. Both his characters are supporting parts, taking up so little stage time that one wonders why a big name was cast for two bit-parts.
Former Strictly Come Dancing pro Janette Manrara is acting rather than dancing, but also plays tiny roles, from the family's Mexican cleaning lady to the mic-holder on the reality TV set. The irony of a tirade against reality TV in the presence of such reality TV royalty is not lost.
A theatrical car crash
It is hard to decipher whether this is comedy, drama, or a theatrical car crash in slow motion. If the latter, it's the kind JG Ballard's voyeurs watch in Crash, with a mix of biliousness and grimy fascination. The wreckage keeps growing, and you want to look away but can't stop gawping. Affluenza runs at Riverside Studios, London, until 21 November.
