Is a love for the Beatles strong enough to keep a troubled family together?

Playwright Nancy Manocherian presents audiences with the ultimate family drama in Hey Jude, a play in which the painful past is dredged up during what is supposed to be one of the most joyful times of the year: Christmas. Presented by the cell theatre under Kira Simring's direction, this production seeks to find the light in all of the darkness – if it exists at all.

Matriarch Anna (Deborah Offner) is an overly optimistic and religious woman navigating life with husband Henry (Larry Cahn), who is suffering from dementia, and their only son, Jude (Adam Weppler), who struggles with being adopted and obsesses about the mother who left him behind. From the beginning, it is clear that their family strife goes beyond the typical angst and disagreements other families have. Anna is prisoner to the thoughts in her head (represented by her teenage self, played by Catherine Dupont) and haunted by a choice she made in the past. The family's shared love for the Beatles is their one source of comfort, giving them a sense of normality and acting as the glue to potentially hold them together.

The acting in this production is very strong, each character full of emotion that brings out their distinct personality. As they all deal with their own internal struggles, the plot unfolds through a number of twists and turns, and the audience remained engaged throughout the 90 minutes of this thought-provoking and powerful play.