The article discusses the BBC Three series Just Act Normal, which revolves around three siblings coping with their mother's disappearance due to her substance abuse issues. Despite the grim premise, the show manages to maintain a light touch and balances comedy with drama, reminiscent of fairytales that juxtapose joy and pain. Directed by Nathaniel Martello-White, the show encourages the actors to embody archetypal character traits derived from fairytale stories. Adapted by Janice Okoh from her play Three Birds, the young cast faces significant expectations in their performances.
Just Act Normal is a show about three young siblings who decide to struggle on as normal after their mother, a perennially unreliable woman with substance abuse issues, disappears.
There's a palpable lightness of touch to Just Act Normal. You could almost call it joy. Striking the right balance between comedy and drama takes absurd levels of effort and craft.
Martello-White describes the show's tonal balance as resembling a warped fairytale, swinging between moments of joy and intense pain, urging actors to find archetypes for their characters.
Janice Okoh adapted Just Act Normal from her 2013 play Three Birds, leaving the young actors with big shoes to fill, especially since Taylor's role was originally played by Michaela Coel.
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