Daddy’s Diary, review and interview
Venue: St Andrews Hall
Next performance: 30 June 12:00
By Thubelihle Mathonsi
At the heart of Daddy’s Diary are two daughters. The show explores the emotional ripple effects of divorce, particularly on children. “What I hope audiences take away from this show is that divorce is a horrendous experience by nature,” says Ernest Mokoto, the show’s production manager. “It not only affects the couple, it’s the children who get hurt the most.”
The story is like an unwritten diary, giving voice to a perspective often overlooked: that of the father. “Men are frequently portrayed as the cause of conflict, yet rarely do we see their pain”, said Mokoto. They suffer too silently, and more often, the children typically remain with the mother; society rarely asks how the father feels. We judge them by their actions, often without understanding the emotional storms that drive them.
This story follows a man who endures his suffering quietly, watching his dreams, joy, and love slowly slip through his fingers. Torn by half-truths and emotional chaos, he longs for the family he’s losing. “I just wanted to love my wife and kids to the moon and back,” the character confesses, a powerful reminder that love sometimes gets buried beneath the wreckage of broken relationships.
However, the play still has a long way to go in terms of structure and direction. The flashbacks were not very clear. Like me, two audience members I spoke said they were a bit confused about the progression of events.
The play was open to all ages, although I wondered if it would have been really appropriate for all ages. I would have been uncomfortable if my little brother in 6th grade had come to the show with me, and I don’t know if he would have understood it. The narrative might not have been impactful or emotionally accessible to them.
The show’s message is essential, but the exposition needs to be clearer and the execution more polished. At the heart of it is a desire to show the world just how much divorce can hurt men, who often suffer in silence.
