REVIEW: Uncle Monty’s Antique Shop, Pither Productions, Lion & Unicorn Theatre 13 - 17 October 2026

‘An intriguing experience with some fantastic ideas’ ★★★

The idea of an object outliving its owner, and holding a horror story, is terrifying enough; Nina Atesh and Alexander Wright pull this fear apart with four engaging short stories, each told from an eerie antique ‘shop’.

The Tourist (Nina Atesh) comes across a shop and discovers that the owner, Monty (Nicholas Benjamin) views each of his antiques as invaluable. She soon learns why, as each item has a tale behind it.

The first story is my favourite, with an interesting exploration of the power dynamics between a photographer and their subject. It delves into the Sontagian idea of the subjects being pawns to reflect the photographer themselves, reversing the power of the politician and his perceived control over his subjects. There’s plenty to consider in how an image can capture a moment while at the same time giving the creator control over how another person is seen and remembered. It’s a compelling start and lays the groundwork for the psychological unease that the anthology goes on to unpack.

The other three stories are loosely connected, although the links feel more thematic than essential to a collective message. Indeed, Atesh and Benjamin have explained that the stories were not originally written to fit together, and that the shared themes emerged as the pieces were brought together. The connection is interesting but some concepts feel too far-fetched to be realised in the short time available. Each piece is set in an evidently complex world, and the need to identify and justify the conflict each time means the storytelling occasionally feels rushed; the stories do not all achieve the same impact for this reason.

It felt to me as though the stories are connected chronologically, taking place at different moments in time, the first story being the most historic (though I may be mistaken). Exploiting this link further could allow the central theme of control to shine through in different settings.

I also enjoyed the set design, which suits the psychological approach to horror, rather than relying on jump scares or gore. Ultimately the play has an appealing premise with some particularly unnerving moments, even if the ambitions of the individual stories sometimes call for a more substantial format. The anthology as a whole is an intriguing experience, building stories around some fantastic ideas.

Uncle Monty’s Antique Shop, presented by Pither Productions.

Part of HERE FOR season of work at Lion & Unicorn Theatre (Kentish Town, London) 13 - 17 October 2026

Box Office https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on

Cast:

Shanice Petilaire

Akshay Sharan

Ryan Williams

Nina Atesh

Nicholas Benjamin

Creative Team:

Nina Atesh (writer, director)

Alexander Wright (writer, director)

Brett Kasza (lighting design)

Joseph Emms (fight choreography)

He (John) Zhang (tech operator)

Katie Allen (artwork)

production photos by Jayfantanapics