REVIEW: OVERFLOOD, by Kylie Williams at Etcetera Theatre 9 - 12 November 2026

‘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