Noah Schnapp play loses focus after exploring privilege and drink-driving deaths
Andy Sandberg's play opens with an intriguing premise: a wealthy teenager kills two people whilst drink-driving, and his parents invoke "affluenza"—the notion that his crimes stem from parental neglect rather than personal responsibility—to evade justice. The setup offers a sharp commentary on wealth, privilege and how money insulates the powerful from consequences, echoing real-world cases where affluence shields criminals from accountability. However, the production spectacularly loses its way, becoming increasingly incoherent and bizarre.
The court case resolves offstage before the interval, abandoning any legal drama the play initially promised. The second half jumps decades forward to show a middle-aged Dylan profiting from his past through a reality television show, leaving Schnapp (star of Stranger Things) in supporting roles and fellow cast member Janette Manrara relegated to minor parts. The review criticises the production as a chaotic theatrical failure that squanders its striking premise, wasting its cast and defaulting to confusing satire that is somehow both repellent and compulsively watchable.
- Play about "affluenza" legal defence starts brilliantly before collapsing into incoherent spectacle.
- Big-name cast including Noah Schnapp reduced to supporting roles by muddled production.
- Incoherent second half transforms initial moral examination into bizarre reality TV satire.
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A new stage production explores the concept of "affluenza"—the argument that excessive wealth and parental indulgence can shield privileged young people from personal responsibility. The play follows a wealthy teenager who kills two people whilst drink-driving and whose parents attempt to use this privilege-based defence to evade legal accountability.
The production examines themes of wealth, power and justice that have become prominent in public discourse following real-world cases where affluent defendants appeared to receive preferential treatment. It stars Noah Schnapp, best known for the television series Stranger Things, alongside Janette Manrara.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Affluenza review – Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp can’t save this baffling disaster”.