REVIEW: THE PASS at The Pearly Queen Theatre 17 September - 3 October 2026
“A solid and enjoyable revival of a quality play” ★★★
The Pass by John Donnelly began life in 2014 at the Royal Court Theatre and has since had a number of international revivals and a BAFTA-nominated film adaptation. The play chronicles twelve years in the lives of two young footballers whose futures diverge at a single, ambiguous moment before a career‑defining match. Over ten years on since its debut, the play’s exploration of sexuality and masculinity is as timely now as it ever was, revealing the emotional cost of living a selfish life curated for public consumption rather than personal truth.
In this new and intimate East End production from The Pearly Queen Theatre’s Glenn T. Griffin, we’re brought a solid and enjoyable revival of a quality play. Ben Moxon, giving us his best Russell Tovey, who originated the role, is Jason, the team’s star player, less talented though more popular than his friend Ade, played by Josh Hitchman-Pinnock. In a richly charged first scene of musky bravado and ambivalent lust, the boys as teenagers have a sexual encounter with one another that will haunt them forever. Jason will go on to sportsman stardom, becoming rich and famous, but repressed and hollowed out. Ade will give up the dream and become a plumber, openly gay and in a settled relationship. But neither of them will forget that night.
The key here is that the play kind of lives or dies on the two leads’ chemistry, which needs to span and outlast their decade-long absence from each other, uniting them at either end of the play. But there’s already a problem. Their chemistry is okay – a bit meh – but both of them are outshined by Eliza Shea, who gives the strongest performance of the piece as table dancer Lyndsey, a supporting character who spends a night with Jason in the second of the three hotel rooms featured. Jason and Lyndsey sizzle and pop more than Jason and Ade – which means I sort of forgot about Ade altogether until the final act. That sort of defeats the whole point.
Moxon as Jason does a very good job of portraying the alluring danger and volatility of his character, a constant subsurface potential for terror. He has great manic eyes and a menacing grin. But it lacks any vulnerability or nuance, which can make the performance read a touch like an impression rather than an interpretation.
That, ultimately, reveals the overriding theme with this rendition as a whole. It’s fine, but unoriginal, a bit literal and with nothing new to say. It works because of Donnelly’s great writing – but that was already there. It would be nice to see the company do something different with it.
It could be that this new venue is still finding its feet as to what works best on its stage. I can see that comedy, which they already programme, would work very well, as would smaller, one-act pieces or solo shows. For this kind of established piece, I’m not so sure just yet. I applaud their ambition, but the space can’t quite support a full-length play of this dramatic size. Yes, the cast is small but the psychological breadth is big. The action often ends up feeling cramped and a bit awkward. They’ve gone for high realism, which is distracted by the use of the bar at the back, the narrow aisle, and the door, all of which kind of spoil the illusion of a high-end hotel room. The reason they’ve had to do this is because there simply isn’t enough space to do anything else (there are no wings, crossover, or backstage), which severely restricts their creative options, and ultimately leads to the slightly dry interpretation of The Pass we’re shown.
Now, that said, I would encourage you to go and see it. The play itself is still topical and important, and it’s a great, evolving venue (with its own nice little bar in the house). We really can’t champion these small venues enough and, don’t get me wrong, it’s still a perfectly serviceable show. I do think the Pearly Queen Theatre will definitely end up a high scorer. Unfortunately, for me, this one is just a bit of an own goal.
The Pass
Written by John Donnelly
Directed by Glenn T. Griffin
The Pearly Queen Theatre @ The Bow Bells Pub, 17 September – 3 October 2026
Box Office: https://www.pearlyqueentheatre.co.uk/whats-on
Photography: Sheilina Somani
Reviewed by Alix Owen
Alix Owen is a Pushcart Prize nominated writer from Wales. His work has appeared at the Liars’ League, the Camden Fringe, and in print and digital anthologies internationally.
