While there are a number of plays that deal with the aftermath of losing one’s paterfamilias such as Florian Zeller’s The Father and David Auburn’s Proof, they obviously lean into the gravitas of the subject matter. However, if there’s one area that British and Irish playwrights have historically shown a knack for, it’s black comedies – blending taboo subjects such as death with humour, irony and the absurd. Doughnut Drive is one such play.

A passion project for Finella Waddilove who writes, directs and co-stars in the play, Doughnut Drive focuses on Bex (Sarah Parkins) whose father passed away the previous year and in the 12 months since, has had to step up and take over his car dealership. One of her frequent visitors at the workplace is best friend Yaz (Finella Waddilove), who is on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of self-awareness and has a childlike enthusiasm for simple things (including the proverbial doughnuts…).

When we first meet Bex, we find out that her father’s death coincided with the 12-month driving ban and that she’s 24 hours away from legally being allowed to drive again. So why would she potentially jeopardise her driving licence by taking an excursion before the ban is lifted?

One of the many things I liked about Doughnut Drive is the way that it subverts some tropes and has a female character who is really into movies (as opposed to a stereotypical male ‘nerd’). Half the fun in hearing Yaz talking about “Film Club” is guessing what on Earth she has watched, as she recalls the previous night’s viewing in her own inimitable style! Also, the dynamic between the (usually) sensible Bex and the eccentric, unorthodox Yaz reminds me of Dante and Randal in Kevin Smith’s Clerks – a movie reference that Yaz would be proud of.

When done right, the town or location on any given story can be a character in its own right and Doughnut Drive is no exception. Aside from the plethora of references to Billericay, Essex where the action takes place, a narrative with a distinct locale gives the story a personality and sets it apart from many fringe plays that are set either ‘nowhere’ or in London.

Leaning into the gangsters from East London/Essex trope, Doughnut Drive deftly entwines real events from the mid-’90s with the moral conundrum that Bex finds herself in. That’s when the genius of Bex and Yaz’s characterisation comes to the fore. Instead of the ‘Odd Couple’ dynamic being a convenient way of getting a few laughs, we see that each character helps ‘fill in the gaps’ that the other lacks during a crisis and that together they can make it through the worst…

© Michael Davis 2026

Doughnut Drive ran at the Drayton Arms Theatre on 17th and 18th March.