REVIEW: THE ILLS WE DO at The Bridge House Theatre 7-18 April 2026
“The performances are where the production truly excels.”★★★
Ellie Ward’s THE ILLS WE DO presents itself as a taut, claustrophobic spy drama. MI6 agents Mona and Em are holed up in a safe house, tracking a missing operative whose disappearance could have catastrophic global consequences. As the hours tick by, however, the external crisis gives way to a fraught personal battleground, with old resentments, jealousy and unresolved tensions rising rapidly to the surface.
Ward’s writing is often witty and occasionally affecting, and the premise is undeniably strong. Yet the structure proves a double-edged sword. Mona and Em are introduced as highly skilled professionals, but much of their interaction centres on rivalry and romantic entanglements - boyfriends, exes, husbands, bosses -resulting in a dynamic that can feel reductive. The focus on these personal grievances frequently overshadows the central thriller narrative, making the conflict seem surprisingly trivial for two agents in such high-stakes circumstances. When the play’s deeper framework begins to emerge, it brings greater clarity and purpose, though arguably too late to fully reframe those early impressions.
The performances are where the production truly excels. Mira Morrison delivers a commanding, emotionally resonant turn as Em, matched toe-to-toe by Rebecca Pickering’s Mona. Their chemistry and control elevate the material, carrying the play through shifts from biting humour to simmering intensity and ensuring it remains engaging even when the script falters.
Set and design is lowkey: dust sheets, a countdown clock, and an apparently endless supply of provisions effectively evoke the isolation of the safe house while keeping the focus firmly on the actors.
THE ILLS WE DO is an ambitious piece with much to admire. Powerful performances and flashes of sharp writing stand out, but a preoccupation with interpersonal squabbles and playing into familiar gender dynamics ultimately undermines its thriller credentials.
Box Office: https://www.ticketsource.com/the-bridge-house-theatre/e-bgrrkp
