What happens when you have a son?
How does manhood move through generations?
Who decides what a ‘good dad’ really means?
Chips and Ice-Cream is a fast-paced comedy/drama which shows a glimpse into the life of a young Glasgow man and his attempt to raise his boy as best he can. The struggles, the laughs, the joy and the inevitability of the mistakes that every parent will make as they try to figure out what the fuck they’re doing. Written and performed by Martyn Hodge during his final year studies at Guildhall, the piece is based very much on the experience of growing up working class in the West Coast of Scotland. It delves into the undercurrents of masculinity and how it is presented/transferred through generations by viewing our hero, ‘Stevie’ and what led him to have his boy taken away. Be it unconfronted childhood trauma, too much Celtic, McDonalds or just missing the lads – a young father in a world that’s given him nothing, is a volcano that’s waiting to erupt.
Content warning: Domestic violence - child abuse