Reviews

‘A gripping dystopian physical theatre piece excellently performed.’ ★★★★ OVERFLOOD opens in a bunker, where three bodies, faces hidden by a white bandage fabric, seem to be living. It is clearly post-apocalyptic and mysterious. Who are these people to each other? Strangers that now, need to become a family. A ‘nuclear family’, respecting the prototypes, rituals and routines of what a family is, in the eyes of society. But when everything starts to slowly slip away, their survival seems endangered… This devised piece is original and striking. The physical images created by the three performers onstage are gripping. They manage to create an atmosphere of dystopia and discomfort that hooks the audience right in from the start. What begins as a routine within this made up ‘nuclear family’ soon starts to fall apart as the characters lose themselves in their own fears and anxiety, struggling to keep up with society’s expectations. They are alienated, kept on the hook with a little red pill that supposedly takes their pain away, but their addiction starts to cause them harm. The sound design is fabulous and helps create the dystopian world of the piece while keeping the audience in a feeling of suspense and danger: anything could happen at any moment. While some parts could be delved in deeper (the club-like sequence felt like it could go wilder) and some bits could maybe be helped with some clarification (I personally struggled to understand the metaphor of the ball, but maybe it wasn’t meant to be understood), overall, this production excels in its originality and physical performance. OVERFLOOD, by Kylie Williams Etcetera Theatre, 9th, 10th & 12th November https://www.voilafestival.co.uk/events/overflood/ Cast & Creatives Director: Kylie Williams Performers and Devisers: Kylie Williams, Hector Berenger, Hollie Milne Sound Design: Hollie Milne

‘Compelling traditional storytelling’ ★★★★ It’s already that time of year for stories best told around the fire, preferably involving ghosts. We are in safe hands with experienced storyteller Matthew Wood, who also co-writes and directs Ghost Stories for Christmas, bringing three festive supernatural stories to life. With a simple set, this production relies solely on Wood’s performance to hold our attention. We begin with H R Wakefield’s story “Lucky’s Grove”. When servants from a country house unwittingly dig up a Christmas tree from a sacred grove, you know it is not going to end well, and we wait for the terrible events to play out. In Algernon Blackwood “The Wendigo” we travel further afield to Northwestern Ontario, where a spirit, based on Algonquian myths, terrorises a hunting party. We finish with a story of Wood’s, again where an ill-fated decision to use a particular tree has devasting consequences. In many ways the strongest story of the three, it draws on many different story conventions and tropes to create an original tale. The production relies on seasonal storytelling traditions and does not disappoint. Wood delivers the three stories compellingly and holds the audience’s attention. In the first story especially he voices a large collection of characters, and does so well. It was good to hear these tales, less well known to contemporary audiences than similar stories, for example by Dickens and M R James. A seasonably appropriate evening and well worth watching if you are able to catch it. Edwyrdian Tales presents: GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS based on stories by H R Wakefield, Algernon Blackwood, and Matthew Wood. Directed by Matthew Wood The Old Red Lion 9 November, then touring: https://www.edwyrdiantales.com/theatre

‘delicate and engaging, and all the performances are immaculate’ ★★★★ In 1966, a spoil tip that the National Coal Board had sited on a hilltop above the village of Aberfan slid down the mountain and buried the village school. It drowned 116 school children and 28 teachers in a wave of slurry, and left an entire community bereft and in mourning. Neil Anthony Docking has written a play that explores some of the effects of the disaster. The play is sensitive and moving and also, impressively, really funny. In a room in the local community centre, a representative of the Revlon cosmetics empire has come to give make-up tips and sell beauty aids to a group of women from the village. They are a varied and slightly mis-matched group with one huge thing in common; all of them lost children when the tip came down. The women are all named, the cosmetics demonstrator is just called Revlon. She doesn’t share their history, and she is also from Bristol, sixty long miles from the Merthyr Valley and much further away than that economically and historically. Docking gives all five women their moment to tell their story. Maxine Evans’ direction is delicate and engaging, and all the performances are immaculate. It is very satisfying to see a play taking on such a sensitive, potentially overwhelming topic, and make it resonate with truth. The women respond to their grief differently but recognisably, and the slightly off-kilter efforts of a make-up saleswoman to help is described accurately but not dismissed – she is doing her best, it is an impossible situation for an outsider to comprehend, and the normalcy of her input is of value as the bereaved mothers put their shattered lives back together. It’s a tough watch. It’s a valuable statement. It’s an opportunity for a fine cast (Llinos Daniel, Hedydd Dylan, Charlotte Gray, Mirain Haf Roberts, and Antonia Kinlay) to strut their impressive stuff, and it’s on until 14 th November. It’s a very good reason to go to Finsbury Park. BOX OFFICE THE REVLON GIRLNBy Neil Anthony Docking, Directed by Maxine Evans

‘Courageous and uncompromising’ ★★★ ½ Noda Theatre presents a physical theatre production with immense honesty, intelligence and bravery. It’s a highly recommended piece of theatre, which unfortunately had a problem with translation which is easy to fix. Best described as in-your-face theatre, four women’s stories unfold both visually and in spoken word; visceral and sometimes alarming but always engaging. Worlds apart, the stories emerge from a journalist, a stripper, a wife and a witness. Each story has individual denouements, but along the way it becomes clear that these are stories of sexual assault. According to the programme these are based on real events, from documented testimonies, interviews and the performers’ own experiences. ‘Everyone knows what happened to Medusa, but what happened before?’ On entering the auditorium audiences can observe the four women on stage, wearing nude-coloured bodysuits encased, like chrysalis, in flexible shrouds. In the centre, the Gorgon is covered in heaps of flexible tubes, presumably representing snakes, heavily weighing her down. The props throughout are very well thought out, even the sound coming from the tubes, they add another dimension to the show. Thanks to visual designer Maciej Miecznikowski they are extremely well used. As each of the women come to centre stage, they dress in clothes representing their characters. The first begins by talking about journalism, that it takes no sides and that it is impersonal. This thread is tremendously promising but unfortunately the impact of some of this strand was lost for those who don’t understand the language. Gorgon Syndrome is part of VOILA Paralingual Festival and this company NODOstage, (Belarus, Poland and Ukraine) also includes sections in Russian. Subtitles above their heads are very clear except when a circle appears on the video, unfortunately it obscures the transcription. So, quite a lot of this story is frustratingly lost. The clearest of the four, is the wife, who wants to get pregnant, a familiar theme but her reasoning is so that she will no longer have to fake an orgasm. It’s a stunning piece of acting, allowing vulnerability, disgust and shame to rack her body. There is visual beauty in this piece, but at times it is also brutal and vulgar. It is a deliberate move away from skin deep representations of women, to reveal something with more depth and honesty. All of the stories feel authentic, all of the actors allow themselves to show their vulnerability but also determination to give voice and physicality to these lived experiences. On the other hand, these performances also have tremendous power and impact, they are totally uncompromising in their grief, rage and hope that their stories will not go unheard. Gorgon Syndrome isn’t preachy at all, but bringing these stories to public performance is one step towards empowering women and I applaud them for that. NODOstage presents: GORGON SYNDROME, part of VOILA FESTIVAL at Etcetera Theatre 6 – 8 November 2026 Devised and directed by: Tatsiana Popova-Hatouchyts, Yana Alekseenko, Alana Ivory, Nadzeya Sheibak Performers: Tatsiana Popova-Hatouchyts, Yana Alekseenko, Alana Ivory, Nela Agrenich, Lana Biba Composers: Pavel Sheibak, Raman Sauchuk Visual designer: Maciej Miecznikowski Translator: Alisa Kisel Languages: English, Russian

“ Scenes With Girls gives female friendship the respect it deserves.” ★★★★ Miriam Battye’s Scenes with Girls celebrates the richness and significance of female friendship. The pseudo rom-com first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2020 and delivers its poignant ideas about sex, identity, and heteronormativity through a stream of rapid-fire dialogue and jokes. Per its title, Scenes with Girls consists of dozens of scenes dedicated to best friends and flatmates, Lou (Molly Rex) and Tosh (Caity O’Meara). The first scenes are quick. Snapshots of the girls' friendship create a supercut of extreme closeness, a window into a private world of gossip and inside jokes. These moments of platonic intimacy fly by like the early days of a budding romance. Of course, with any couple, bliss is unsustainable. As conflict escalates over the course of the play's 90-minutes, individual scenes become longer and more lived-in. A central tenet of Battye’s script is the idea that friendship is as nuanced and meaningful as romance, with the potential to be equally damaging. To this end, Scenes with Girls applies traditional romance tropes to a story of friendship to underscore the parallel complexities and depth. Lou and Tosh are more than just friends. They are each other's port of emotional and physical safety. They are soulmates but not lovers and, as the play asserts, society does not make space for soulmates who are not lovers. Unlike society, Scenes with Girls acknowledges the profoundness and nuance of friendship, particularly female friendship, and the role of sex in a meaningful relationship is a core provocation. Scenes with Girls is a fresh addition to the cultural landscape, while evoking Lena Dunham’s Girls . Like Dunham, Battye’s characters are nuanced and lifelike, if grating and unlikeable. The characters in Scenes with Girls repeatedly choose inane “boy talk” over substantive discourse about themselves, their lives, or their world. This pattern is frustrating but entirely intentional; in order to comment on the sexual obsession and/or repression that the patriarchy inflicts on young women, Scenes with Girls must mirror it. The show is a brilliantly accurate reflection of contemporary 20-something women with the given byproduct that the characters, therefore, think and act like 20-something women. Under Lucy Harper’s direction, the production of Scenes with Girls on at The Hen and Chickens Theatre lives up to the full potential of Battye’s script. Superb set design combined with an immersive soundtrack of millennial hits ground the play in clear time and place. O’Meara and Rex are electric as the central duo. Both actresses bring their respective characters to life with pathos, relatability, and brilliant comic timing. Rachel Mertens joins in later scenes as Fran, an “ex” of the friend group, so to speak. In just a few appearances, Mertens’s excellent performance leaves an outsized impression and expands the impact of the central dynamic into the surrounding world. Brandon Pascal rounds out the cast as the sole - largely placeholder - male character. Scenes with Girls posits that the steadfast friends who are integral in the formation of the female identity play a far more substantive role in our life story than the men who come and go. Gender aside, it's a must-see for anyone who has ever had a friend change their life. Scenes with Girls is on at The Hen & Chickens Theatre 3rd - 7th November. Tickets are available at https://unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/scenes-with-girls .

“The set-up promises a powder keg of drama, but the play never quite manages to light it.” ★★★ John, a Black man born in South Africa during Apartheid, left the country with his father when he was a baby. The pair left behind not only their country, but also John’s mother. Despite having built a successful career as a journalist, the pain and anger John feels towards the injustices he has faced remain very much alive within him. Cue the entrance of Marius, a white South African. Marius served in the army during the Angolan Border War and was responsible for the deaths of people fighting for the emancipation of Black South Africans. He is the human personification of everything about the world that John hates. Directed by Jake Murray, the production of “The Moth” has a lot to commend it. Amelia Mitchell’s set is minimal, but effectively evokes a number of spaces, from home office to train carriage. This is supported by a TV screen on the back wall, which helps sell certain scenes. It’s particularly effective when functioning as a train window, although its impact is occasionally undermined when actors’ heads obscure the screen (a taller TV stand would go a long way). Actors Faz Singhateh and Micky Cochrane put in strong performances; Singhateh’s John bristles with a furiously contained rage, while Cochrane’s Marius swings between easy-going affability and explosive anger. Nonetheless, something about the play never quite lands. The set-up promises a powder keg of drama, but the play never quite manages to light it. I never found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next or what these characters might push one another to do. The problem may lie in writer Paul Herzberg’s decision to use the characters’ eventual meeting on national television as a framing device. Knowing that the two men ultimately end up sharing a television studio places limitations on how far their confrontations can escalate in the events leading up to it. It robs one particular moment involving a gun of much of its danger. More fundamentally, I found myself questioning why these two men were quite so drawn to each other, why they kept seeking one another out, and why the universe kept insisting on throwing them together. This led to their relationship occasionally feeling contrived, weakening the dramatic tension at the heart of the play. It’s great to see a play that explores a vital moment in still fairly recent history and confronts the racist ideologies and legal systems that allowed it. The decision to programme a number of Q&As alongside the production is also commendable. The subject matter is undoubtedly important, but as a piece of theatre, something isn’t fully working here. The Moth by Paul Herzberg / Finborough Theatre / 27 Oct – 21 Nov 2026 https://www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk/productions/the-moth Images by Victoria Wai

‘a wonderfully energetic performer but clarity in direction and story is needed’ ★★ FRUIT SALAD written and performed by Ioana Feneru is a darkly comedic solo show following a young woman, Annie, obsessing over her weight and body image until it becomes something much more sinister and slowly begins to take over her life. She explores what it means to constantly be measured and counting calories in today’s society. Feneru is a charismatic and energetic performer who immediately connects with her audience. For a subject matter with so much weight to it, she adds lightness and comedy throughout, making eye contact with audience members and even getting us to interact with her questions. Feneru was in her element, never letting her energy dip and taking the audience along on her character’s very personal and complex journey. Although I understood the message behind this production, FRUIT SALAD failed to present a clear story. I really enjoyed the character of Annie that Feneru had created. Her struggles with calorie-counting and weight were evident as she compared her body and dieting habits to different fruits at the beginning of the show. But for a 50 minute piece the plot was incoherent and at times non-existent, I came away genuinely not sure what happened to her character or how this related to the psychological horror genre that had been described. Video footage of political rallies, yoga coaching and music transitioned us from scene to scene with no explanation as to why they were there, and as some were in a foreign language we also couldn’t interpret the meaning for ourselves which was a missed opportunity. I feel that this piece could greatly benefit from an outside director. At times the staging was clunky and paired with lack of clarity in the story it was difficult to follow. Producing a show on Halloween night offers a brilliant opportunity to unsettle an audience and I believe Feneru’s performance alongside a clearer script and stronger staging has the potential to create an exciting and moving piece of theatre. Feneru is a wonderfully energetic performer but clarity in direction and story is needed to develop FRUIT SALAD into the unsettling, dark comedy that it has the potential to be. 

“An inventive blend of comedy and horror, anchored by an excellent performance from Mayer.” ★★★½ Charlie is upbeat, likeable and worried that she might be turning into a black widow spider. Her ex-boyfriends have met a succession of grisly ends, and she believes a curse is responsible. There is, understandably, quite a lot to discuss in therapy. Written and directed by, and starring, Alice Mayer, HOURGLASS is an inventive blend of comedy and horror, anchored by an excellent performance from Mayer. Framed around a therapy session, this one-woman show follows Charlie as she recounts her former relationships and the mysterious deaths that followed, sharing her anxiety, guilt and fears about what might be happening to her. Disembodied voices populate her world, giving her people to react to outside the therapy scenes as she relates the events leading to her current situation. Comic takes on Disney princess-style songs, a touch of puppetry and dance make for an intriguing theatrical mix. The balance of comedy and horror is well managed, and the pacing keeps the audience engaged. The staging is varied and occasionally experimental, making good use of the space, particularly during the dance sequences. Lighting shifts complement the changes in mood. It feels sleek and well produced. Charlie’s bright, engaging manner draws us in before she reveals her experience of sexual violence. Mayer gives its life-changing effects real emotional weight and handles the shifts between humour and distress with assurance. The main limitation lies in how much of Charlie’s story belongs to the men in her life. By the end, we know a great deal about Joe’s background, family history and penchant for drugs and self-destruction, but considerably less about Charlie herself. Her relationships reveal what she has experienced, yet leave too little room for her dreams, ambitions or sense of who she might be beyond them. Giving these aspects of her life more attention would broaden the play’s scope and lend greater depth to an already engaging protagonist. At its core, HOURGLASS explores a woman’s struggle with trauma and her attempt to reclaim power and control after surviving a horrific experience. There are flashes of the provocative territory explored in Promising Young Woman, although the script needs further development to fulfil that promise. Charlie’s distress feels real, but the revenge arc sometimes works against the play’s own messaging. The final confrontation is presented as a triumphant act of empowerment, yet appears to shift responsibility towards another woman for a man’s actions. Rather than examining that displacement of blame, the ending invites us to celebrate it. This feels reductive in a story with the potential to ask more searching questions about accountability and who is made to pay. There is much to admire here: a strong central performance, assured pacing and a willingness to experiment with form. More room for Charlie to exist beyond her relationships, and a sharper interrogation of its revenge narrative, would give this already compelling production greater depth and impact. Read interviews and articles, giving insights into the craft of making horror for theatre HERE  Photography credit: Diana Kenyeres

‘Romantic, mysterious and warm hearted’ ★★★★ Likely to be marmite, but highly recommended for the romantics amongst you, for anyone who wants a diversion from the mundane. It’s ideal for couples but somehow it has the heart of a lonely soul longing for romance, an attachment which is somehow elusive. We’re taken on a journey, by just one character; Sam played by Samual Warren. The show breaks the fourth wall and it’s highly interactive, drawing in the audience (very gently and kindly). In an unusual and innovative move, David Brady, the writer, who is also technician for the night, is a major part of this interaction. He plays himself, and I’m sure he’d agree that this is a wise move, he doesn’t accept ‘actor’ as one of his many talents. Brady also directs the show and keeps everything moving, using basic props and confetti, along with some quick costume changes to help with the visuals. Most well-used prop is the red telephone and on the other side of the stage is a large red button with the instruction ‘do not press’. The telephone keeps ringing, but Sam won’t answer it. It adds mystery to this piece and clear symbolism which has us all guessing the outcome, but no spoilers here. The sound for the show adds another dimension, it’s not subtle, it adds important information and is meant to represent a life, (Sam’s), and audiences might well relate to much of this. As an old girl reviewer myself, my feeling is that it’s not a show for me. I even thought that the first scenes wouldn’t need much tweaking to become an ideal show for children, with the big red button and phone and the actor chatting to people as though they are his confidants. However, when the shift comes, the childish feeling quickly evaporates and we’re left with something a little unnerving, we’re getting closer to the heart of the show; and there’s no shortage of heart here. BIG LOVE is part of the HERE FOR season of shows at Lion and Unicorn Theatre produced by Proforca Theatre Company (founded by Brady). It’s a first-of-its-kind supported season of breakout work, designed for next stage companies. With so many new companies bringing their work to the stage, it becomes important to give opportunities to those who are ready for bigger things. It’s a tremendous commitment which deserves much applause along with the hope that it might be possible to repeat the season in future years. Finally, another point about BIG LOVE, which is certainly worth highlighting, is how much it gives a feeling of community and with plenty of laugh out loud moments, it’s a show to be enjoyed. Box office https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on