REVIEW: W*NKERS: The Darkness at Bread & Roses Theatre 5 - 7 February 2026
‘Muddled and difficult to unpick, but some of the vignettes really shine for their originality and offbeat humour.’ ★★ ½
From the very beginning of W*NKERS: The Darkness it’s clear that no audience member will be permitted to sit back and enjoy the ride. We are invited on a frenetic journey through space and time, with two guiding figures – who are by no means a safe pair of hands – careening through chaos, adopting different personas and peppering the piece with raucous musical numbers and bawdy humour. Its absurdity is certainly entertaining, but often its lack of coherence and erratic structure can be frustrating, as the constant gear shifts inhibit the themes and motifs from realising their full potential.
Made up of short vignettes, set at varying points in history, and offering a multitude of different characters, the piece forgoes a linear chronology for something more abstract. There appears not to be a clear, unifying thread linking all of these, which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, the description of the play as a ‘queer, feminist comedy’ does set the expectation that there will be some kind of logical throughline – however loose this may be – that encompasses these elements. Indeed, themes of womanhood and sexuality are fairly legible in the play, with dialogue and musical numbers that touch on these motifs. There are also moments that feel as though they are pointing towards satire; names of real public figures are referenced, situating the piece, at least somewhat, in reality. However, it’s not clear what the purpose these touchpoints serve, as they surface only fleetingly before moving swiftly to a new sketch, leaving the ideas feeling unresolved.
The immersive nature of W*NKERS: The darkness means that a considerable amount of audience participation is involved. The performers move through the crowd at several points, waving several objects in audience members’ faces, screaming and making intense eye contact; hallmarks of immersive theatre that are familiar enough to feel slightly overplayed at this point. With such rich themes of womanhood and the natural world, it feels as though there are a few missed opportunities to heighten feelings of intrusion and discomfort in a way that feels specific to these concepts. The better pieces of audience interaction were those that targeted individuals, utilising their personal responses to create bespoke and genuinely unexpected moments, and the success of these was reflected by the riotous laughter in the room.
Some of the vignettes really shine for their originality and offbeat humour. In particular, the sketch of two gym socks taking on the roles of machismo-ridden teenage boys as they exchange questionable musings on sex is very funny, and feels genuine to the archetypes it presents. The double act of Jordana Belaiche and Bel Parker are clearly versatile and skilled performers, who are able to slip between wildly different accents and mannerisms with aplomb, and deliver accomplished and compelling musical numbers.
Ultimately, W*NKERS: The Darkness feels a little muddled and difficult to unpick, but does have plenty of funny and bizarre moments. Its strength is its comedy, which reinserts everyday tropes and conventions into absurdist settings to hilarious effect. However, some aspects of the performance could benefit from further development to really deliver on the concepts and ideas that are built throughout.
W*NKERS: The Darkness by Jordana Belaiche and Bel Parker
Lighting and tech: Angelina Khan
Bread & Roses Theatre
5th-7th February 2026
