Charlie & Striptease, Golden Goose Theatre 21 April – 9 May 2026
“A balance of the comedy and tragedy of human existence” ★★★★
It is hard to ignore how timely the works of Sławomir Mrożek ring true today; in fact, you could be forgiven for thinking these two plays had been written with the world we currently know in mind. The plays were in fact written in the 1960s and 1970s, when Poland was still under Soviet influence. Orsolya Nagy and DHR Arts have brought the plays to Camberwell, with Nagy directing following a successful pilot run of Striptease as part of the Birmingham Theatre Festival last year (2025).
Charlie, our first play, is an absurd portrayal of heritage, complicity, and victimisation. Everything is highly specific, yet the actors have such a strong sense of inner life that when their characters’ biases spill out left, right, and centre, the natural delivery makes the dialogue feel almost routine. The premise of Charlie is simple: Grandfather (played by Kenneth Michaels) needs to shoot a “Charlie”. The problem, as his Grandson (Simon Brandon) informs us, is that Grandfather cannot see and therefore would not be able to locate “Charlie”, so the Oculist (Rowland D. Hill) is brought in to fix this. All three actors bounce off each other beautifully, each seemingly taking turns to deliver their character’s particular slice of outrageousness.
The idea that a Charlie would be shot today feels almost immaterial, as the audience largely views these characters as bumbling fools. So when a shot is finally fired, one cannot help but think: at least they followed through. The sense of heritage is especially present in the relationship between Grandfather and Grandson; shooting is simply what they do. Why would the Oculist waste everyone’s time trying to determine Grandfather’s eyesight by asking him to read an eye chart? Neither of them can read — it is not what they do. They are proud shooters.
Striptease is a wonderful portrayal of action, inaction, and the uncomfortable truth that sometimes neither can offer comfort when freedom has been taken away. A more stylistic play, with an almost Pinteresque air, no sense of place or time is given. The characters simply know that they were both heading somewhere before finding themselves trapped in a room with just two chairs. The use of silence, when permitted, adds to the sinister undercurrent of this “striptease”.
Great writing is timeless, and Sławomir Mrożek’s work is certainly proof of that. These plays have been staged with great care, and the entire cast deliver precise, excellent performances that balance the absurdity of both Charlie and Striptease with ease. As an audience member, you leave with much to reflect on, as the parallels between today and the past are undeniable.
Dates: Tuesday 21st April – Saturday 9th May 2026.
Location: Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Rd, London SE5 0RR.
Box Office: www.goldengoosetheatre.co.uk
Price: £18 full price (£15 concessions).
Running Time: 90 minutes plus interval.
Cast
Occulist / Man 1: Rowland D. Hill
Grandson / Man 2: Simon Brandon
Grandfather / Hand 1: Kenneth Michaels
Hand 2: Orsolya Nagy
Creatives
Director: Orsolya Nagy
Producer: Rowland D. Hill
Lighting Designer: Matthew Biss
Film Maker: Ghost Chan
Social Media: @drh.arts / @rowlandd.hill2 / @goldengoosetheatre
Website: Charlie and Striptease | Golden Goose Theatre
Images: Paddy Gormley
