Welcome to Your Study Guide for "That Face"!
Hello there! You are about to dive into Polly Stenham’s That Face, a gripping and sometimes shocking play about a family that is falling apart. Because this is part of your Drama post-1900 section for OCR AS Level, we aren't just looking at the story; we are looking at how Stenham uses the stage, language, and characters to make us feel something.
Don't worry if the play feels a bit intense or "messy" at first—that is exactly what Stenham intended! By the end of these notes, you’ll be able to talk about this play like a pro. Let's get started!
1. The Big Picture: What is "That Face" About?
At its heart, the play is about a "broken" upper-middle-class family. Martha (the mother) struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. Her son, Henry, has dropped out of school to take care of her, but their relationship is unhealthily close. Meanwhile, the daughter, Mia, has been sent away to boarding school and is acting out to get attention. Their father, Hugh, lives in Hong Kong with a new family and only returns when things get truly dangerous.
Quick Review: The Core Conflict
The Problem: The parents aren't acting like parents, so the children are forced to grow up too fast (or not at all).
The Setting: Most of the play happens in a messy, claustrophobic bedroom, which mirrors the characters' state of mind.
2. Key Characters: Who’s Who?
Understanding the characters is the first step to "shaping meaning" in your essays. Let’s look at them through the lens of their roles in the family.
Martha: The Mother Who Needs Mothering
Martha is the "sun" that the other characters orbit around. She is charismatic but deeply unstable.
Example: She treats her son Henry more like a boyfriend or a husband than a child. This is a concept called parentification, where the roles are swapped.
Henry: The Caretaker
Henry is an artist who has sacrificed his own life to look after Martha. He is trapped by his love and guilt.
Memory Aid: Think of Henry as a "Golden Cage." He stays because he feels special being Martha’s favorite, but he is actually a prisoner.
Mia: The Forgotten Daughter
Mia is "the sensible one," but she expresses her pain through cruelty. She initiates a prank at school where she drugs a younger girl.
Analogy: Mia is like a person screaming in a soundproof room. No one in her family listens, so she does something "loud" (the prank) to make them look at her.
Hugh: The Absent Provider
Hugh represents the failure of the "traditional" father. He provides money but no emotional support. When he finally arrives, he tries to fix years of trauma with a quick checkbook solution.
Key Takeaway: Every character is "performing" a role that doesn't quite fit them. This creates the tension that drives the play.
3. Important Themes to Know
In your exam, you will need to discuss these big ideas. Let's break them down simply:
A. Dysfunctional Families and Role Reversal
In a "normal" family, parents protect children. In That Face, the children try to protect the parents or themselves.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't just say the family is "mean." Use the term dysfunction. It means the "parts" of the family aren't working the way they should.
B. Addiction and Mental Health
Martha’s addiction isn't just about drugs; it's about her inability to face reality. Stenham shows how one person's addiction can "infect" everyone else in the house.
C. Class and Privilege
The family is wealthy (they have boarding schools and flats in London), but their money can’t save them.
Did you know? Polly Stenham was only 19 when she wrote this! She wanted to show that even "posh" families have dark, ugly secrets.
4. How Stenham Shapes Meaning (AO2)
This is a fancy way of asking: "How does the writer use the stage to tell the story?"
- The Set: The play often moves between a sterile boarding school and Martha’s messy, dark bedroom. This contrast shows the gap between the "public" face (orderly) and the "private" face (chaos).
- Costume: Think about the scene where Martha makes Henry wear her jewelry or clothes. This symbolizes how she is trying to blur the lines between their identities.
- Language: The characters often use sharp, witty, and cruel humor. They use "banter" to avoid talking about their actual feelings.
Quick Review Box:
Symbolism: When an object represents a big idea (e.g., the pills = escape).
Claustrophobia: The feeling of being trapped. The bedroom scenes feel tight and uncomfortable for the audience.
5. Context: The World of the Play (AO3)
To get top marks, you need to understand what was happening when the play was written (2007).
"In-Yer-Face" Theatre
Stenham's work is often linked to a style called In-yer-face theatre. This type of drama aims to shock the audience and force them to look at things that are usually hidden, like drug use or taboo family relationships.
Don't worry if this seems tricky: Just remember that the play is designed to make the audience feel uncomfortable so they don't look away from the truth.
The "Broken" Britain Narrative
In the mid-2000s, there was a lot of talk about the "breakdown" of the traditional family. Stenham shows that this isn't just a problem for poor people; it happens in wealthy families too.
6. Different Interpretations (AO5)
In English Lit, there isn't always one "right" answer. You can see the play in different ways:
- The Feminist View: Is Martha a victim of a society that expects women to be perfect mothers, or is she just a "bad" person?
- The Psychoanalytical View: You might hear the term Oedipus Complex. This is the idea of a son being too attached to his mother. Does Henry love Martha, or is he just addicted to the drama?
- The Social View: Is the play a critique of the upper class? Does their wealth make it easier for them to hide their problems?
Key Takeaway: When writing your essay, try using phrases like "While some might see Martha as a villain, another interpretation suggests she is a victim of her own mental health..."
7. Final Tips for Success
Step-by-Step for your Essay:
1. Identify the technique (e.g., "Stenham uses the setting of the messy bedroom...").
2. Evidence: Give a specific moment or quote from the play.
3. Explain: How does this make the audience feel? What does it tell us about the characters?
4. Context: Link it to the "Drama post-1900" era or "In-yer-face" style.
Encouraging Note: You've got this! That Face is a powerful play because it feels real. If you can understand why these characters are hurting, you can write a brilliant essay. Keep practicing your "why" and "how" questions!