REVIEW: THE MOTH at Finborough Theatre 27 Oct – 21 Nov 2026
“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
