The Empty Chair
by Peter Griffith
Robbie’s father has left the family. All that remains of him is the empty chair – a constant reminder of his absence. Robbie’s mother does her best to look after Robbie, but life is difficult. Then one day a stranger appears. Where has he come from? – is he an alien from outer space? Robbie’s mother is delighted and soon the stranger is living as part of the family. But Robbie remains mistrustful. It takes a whole year of incidents and adventures in the family before Robbie begins to trust the new man in her mother's life. And even then, will Jared ever be able to fill the empty chair?
This moving play examines the stresses and emotions in a single-parent family, and traces with deep sensitivity the gradual development of the relationship between a child and her mother’s new partner.