Reviews

“An inventive blend of comedy and horror, anchored by an excellent performance from Mayer.” ★★★½ Charlie is upbeat, likeable and worried that she might be turning into a black widow spider. Her ex-boyfriends have met a succession of grisly ends, and she believes a curse is responsible. There is, understandably, quite a lot to discuss in therapy. Written and directed by, and starring, Alice Mayer, HOURGLASS is an inventive blend of comedy and horror, anchored by an excellent performance from Mayer. Framed around a therapy session, this one-woman show follows Charlie as she recounts her former relationships and the mysterious deaths that followed, sharing her anxiety, guilt and fears about what might be happening to her. Disembodied voices populate her world, giving her people to react to outside the therapy scenes as she relates the events leading to her current situation. Comic takes on Disney princess-style songs, a touch of puppetry and dance make for an intriguing theatrical mix. The balance of comedy and horror is well managed, and the pacing keeps the audience engaged. The staging is varied and occasionally experimental, making good use of the space, particularly during the dance sequences. Lighting shifts complement the changes in mood. It feels sleek and well produced. Charlie’s bright, engaging manner draws us in before she reveals her experience of sexual violence. Mayer gives its life-changing effects real emotional weight and handles the shifts between humour and distress with assurance. The main limitation lies in how much of Charlie’s story belongs to the men in her life. By the end, we know a great deal about Joe’s background, family history and penchant for drugs and self-destruction, but considerably less about Charlie herself. Her relationships reveal what she has experienced, yet leave too little room for her dreams, ambitions or sense of who she might be beyond them. Giving these aspects of her life more attention would broaden the play’s scope and lend greater depth to an already engaging protagonist. At its core, HOURGLASS explores a woman’s struggle with trauma and her attempt to reclaim power and control after surviving a horrific experience. There are flashes of the provocative territory explored in Promising Young Woman, although the script needs further development to fulfil that promise. Charlie’s distress feels real, but the revenge arc sometimes works against the play’s own messaging. The final confrontation is presented as a triumphant act of empowerment, yet appears to shift responsibility towards another woman for a man’s actions. Rather than examining that displacement of blame, the ending invites us to celebrate it. This feels reductive in a story with the potential to ask more searching questions about accountability and who is made to pay. There is much to admire here: a strong central performance, assured pacing and a willingness to experiment with form. More room for Charlie to exist beyond her relationships, and a sharper interrogation of its revenge narrative, would give this already compelling production greater depth and impact. Read interviews and articles, giving insights into the craft of making horror for theatre HERE  Photography credit: Diana Kenyeres

“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

‘Romantic, mysterious and warm hearted’ ★★★★ Likely to be marmite, but highly recommended for the romantics amongst you, for anyone who wants a diversion from the mundane. It’s ideal for couples but somehow it has the heart of a lonely soul longing for romance, an attachment which is somehow elusive. We’re taken on a journey, by just one character; Sam played by Samual Warren. The show breaks the fourth wall and it’s highly interactive, drawing in the audience (very gently and kindly). In an unusual and innovative move, David Brady, the writer, who is also technician for the night, is a major part of this interaction. He plays himself, and I’m sure he’d agree that this is a wise move, he doesn’t accept ‘actor’ as one of his many talents. Brady also directs the show and keeps everything moving, using basic props and confetti, along with some quick costume changes to help with the visuals. Most well-used prop is the red telephone and on the other side of the stage is a large red button with the instruction ‘do not press’. The telephone keeps ringing, but Sam won’t answer it. It adds mystery to this piece and clear symbolism which has us all guessing the outcome, but no spoilers here. The sound for the show adds another dimension, it’s not subtle, it adds important information and is meant to represent a life, (Sam’s), and audiences might well relate to much of this. As an old girl reviewer myself, my feeling is that it’s not a show for me. I even thought that the first scenes wouldn’t need much tweaking to become an ideal show for children, with the big red button and phone and the actor chatting to people as though they are his confidants. However, when the shift comes, the childish feeling quickly evaporates and we’re left with something a little unnerving, we’re getting closer to the heart of the show; and there’s no shortage of heart here. BIG LOVE is part of the HERE FOR season of shows at Lion and Unicorn Theatre produced by Proforca Theatre Company (founded by Brady). It’s a first-of-its-kind supported season of breakout work, designed for next stage companies. With so many new companies bringing their work to the stage, it becomes important to give opportunities to those who are ready for bigger things. It’s a tremendous commitment which deserves much applause along with the hope that it might be possible to repeat the season in future years. Finally, another point about BIG LOVE, which is certainly worth highlighting, is how much it gives a feeling of community and with plenty of laugh out loud moments, it’s a show to be enjoyed. Box office https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on

‘80s nostalgia, live music and excellent performances create a strong 60 minutes that deserves a larger stage’ ★★★ ½ Scott Slocombe’s Six Kinds of Wednesday with its 80s rock and roll aesthetic hooked the audience in from the moment it began; with costumes, music and performances creating a world of nostalgia. Following a young musician, Valentine, this production reveals a man finally in with a chance of dating his childhood crush before he gets abducted by a vampire. Valentine is a loveable and curious musician skilfully played by Will Hamilton, playing the perfect protagonist for the audience. The vampire promises to return him that very night only if Valentine helps him finish the album that he’s been working on for over 300 years. Witty and dry, Scott Slocombe’s vampire Abhartach creates a brilliant relationship with the other lead, Valentine, whose naivety chimes well with the ambition of his undead counterpart. The audience is consistently immersed in a world that at one moment, takes us into a 1980s pub quiz with the characters talking directly to us. Edward Hole multi-rolled as the vampiric henchman Malbard and the manipulative pub landlord Elvis. Hunched and crumpled in physicality, Malbard acts as the poetic narrator for the audience with his gurgling voice making him a source of comedy that you couldn’t take your eyes off. Compared with Elvis who is controlling and sleazy towards his girlfriend April – played expertly by Polly Maltby (fulfilling a version of a damsel in distress) she is being used by Elvis but is loved by Valentine. The audience are lured by the performances into this world. Yet, the true lead of this play was the live music. Aside from their acting, each member of the cast is proficient in a number of instruments, creating a rather musical show with songs all the way through as they write Abhartach’s dream record. The concept of Gig Theatre is incredibly up and coming, combining theatrical storytelling with the excitement of a very original kind of live music event. My initial reaction to this piece was that it would have better suited a larger stage. The volume and size of the instruments took up a lot of the performance space and at times felt clunky for the staging, but I admire and applaud the ability to create a show of this level in a fringe theatre venue. It would have been better for there to be more of a connection between the music and the story - the lyrics weren't always helping the plot and characters felt as it often felt like a contemporary musical. But with songs brilliantly played and well written we are enveloped in this rock and roll 60-minute piece. The work has incredible potential and had a very strong start; I would love to see this piece developed into a longer show with more of a focus on developing the role of April. As the only female character, her story didn’t expand out of the stereotype of being a love interest and victim. All in all, it's an exciting and lively piece of theatre that would benefit from a clearer marriage between the plot and the songs. Read interviews and articles, giving insights into the craft of making horror for theatre HERE Six Kinds of Wednesday plays at the Bread & Roses Theatre Presented by Sleaze Theatre Writer and director: Scott Slocombe Music and Lyrics: Scott Slocombe & Oliver Magor Assistant Director: Gemma Upton Branding Designer: Gustav Melbardis Sound and Lighting: Matthew Hamilton Photography credit: Ben Fielding.

‘a powerful final scene’ ★★★★ A midnight lock-in at a supposedly haunted theatre is an unusual challenge for someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts. In Final Act, written by Jade Sanchez and Barry J. Wale, late-night radio presenter Julia Chadwick-Baxter arrives determined to debunk the supernatural claims, only to find her own beliefs put to the test. The play is not just about ghosts; it also explores grief and how difficult it can be to let go of someone you love. It mixes humour with horror and more emotional moments, keeping the story engaging even when the atmosphere takes a darker turn. Each character has their own personality and backstory, which helps the audience understand their actions and motivations. Although some of their interactions feel similar in tone, their individual stories help set them apart. LilyAnn Green, as Grace Fairchild, is particularly convincing in her portrayal of someone who firmly believes in her ability to see ghosts. She brings a real sense of conviction to the role. Senora DMello also delivers a strong performance as Julia Chadwick-Baxter. Initially rebellious and cunning in her dealings with her colleagues, Julia gradually reveals a more vulnerable side. As the story unfolds, her behaviour begins to make sense in the context of the pain she has been carrying. The sound design works well, and the lighting helps create the atmosphere, particularly during the more unsettling scenes. Both work well alongside the performances and help bring out the different sides of the story. The most powerful moment comes in the final scene. As a mother, Julia’s struggle to let go of her daughter is particularly moving. The grief she has carried for years has shaped her behaviour, and watching her begin to process that loss brings a sense of emotional release. The scene is both moving and unsettling, making it a memorable conclusion to the story. The main reservation is the pacing. The production feels a little lengthy in places, and some moments become repetitive. A tighter edit would help maintain momentum and allow the strongest scenes to have an even greater impact. Overall, Final Act is an enjoyable production that balances humour and horror with more emotional moments. Although it feels a little long in places, the performances and final scene make it worth watching. The play also raises questions about grief, letting go and how people find a way to move forward after losing someone they love.  Final Act Writers: Jade Sanchez and Barry J. Wale Directors: Jessica Tabraham and Clara Seitz Producer: Emma Kerr Assistant Producer: Jonas Feind Cast ● Julia Chadwick-Baxter — Senora DMello ● Hannah Blackwell — Sophie Woolley ● Grace Fairchild — LilyAnn Green ● Dr Robert Marwood — Richard Cawte ● Danny DeGroot — Oliver Broad Creative team ● Stage Manager and Lighting Designer: Flossy Willis ● Sound Designer and Technical Operator: Emma Kerr Photo credit: Emma Kerr Reviewer: Amala Johnson is a London-based poet and writer with roots in Kerala, India. Writing in Malayalam and English, she explores human emotions and relationships. Having published a poem in 2023, she is currently working on her poetry collection. Her passion for theatre, including experience in amateur playwriting, directing and acting, shapes her appreciation of storytelling and live performance.

“a riotously entertaining night of theatrical mayhem” ★★★★ An improvised horror film created from audience suggestions, PLOTBUSTERS is a riotously entertaining night of theatrical mayhem, where no two performances are ever the same. Suggestions are collected from the audience beforehand, drawn from a popcorn box, with further prompts generated by a roll of the dice and enthusiastic shouts from the crowd. It’s a winning formula, and one that had the audience whooping, cheering and playing along with as much energy as the performers themselves. Our particular evening took us to a waxing shop, where possession and mistaken identity provided the inspiration for a gloriously bonkers horror comedy. A man with half a moustache, a dubious priest, a woman whose single waxed leg is slowly taking possession of her, and a shop owner intent on feeding on the locals... what’s not to love? The cast - Antonia Strafford-Taylor, Grace Hussey-Burd, Milly Allweis, Charlie Harris, Vita Fox and Will Smith - are a confident, versatile bunch, displaying impressive quick wit as the increasingly absurd plot unfolds. The results are both funny and unpredictable. Adding another layer to the action is a keyboard accompanist tucked into the corner, providing a live soundtrack that responds instinctively to the actors and the unfolding chaos. This is a hugely fun, high-energy show, driven by a talented ensemble and a boisterous audience. With different themes and fresh audience suggestions, there’s plenty of scope for PLOTBUSTERS to keep surprising its audiences. It’s a premise that keeps on giving, and with such a skilled team and an inexhaustible supply of audience imagination, there’s every reason to expect a long and illustrious future for PLOTBUSTERS. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plotbusters_improv/

“a fascinating psychological debate on what really lurks within the dark” The premise of Benjamin David Parson’s DARE is simple enough. One woman accepts a dare to spend the night in a haunted hotel room, and it becomes a psychological fight with herself to stay within its walls, which are crammed with bloody history. As the hours tick by, her mind begins to play tricks on her, every creak and knock heightens the paranoia, and time itself begins to turn against her. The main character is Seren, played by Olivia Peacock. Throughout the course of the show, we watch as her perfectly crafted cool persona quickly crumbles and she becomes a fearful, anxious wreck as the hotel room that has become her prison cell begins to make her question whether she is truly alone. Her easy dismissals of the hauntings dissipate more and more with every passing hour, until by the end, she is no longer the same woman we met at the start. Anastasia Sidorova plays her friend Jess, and the dynamic between the two of them reveals two different stories playing out. They both like the same boy and this dare will decide who ends up with him. However, it would seem the dare is for naught, as Seren is already dating Jacob, played by Joshua Batsford. While the premise was initially gripping, I found some of the execution a tad lackluster. In the lead up to Halloween, I was hoping to watch something that would scare me. However, save for a few lighting cues and audio samples, I found myself left wanting. As an avid horror fan, I adore both the supernatural and psychological aspects of the genre, and I was hoping for a touch more of both within this story. The cast gave it their all. Noteworthy was Carol Toomey as the hotel manager, who arrives at the end of the night to deliver some devastating news to the girls, and during her short appearance wonderfully delivers this frantic desperation as she tries to get Seren and Jess to join her downstairs. Overall, I really enjoyed the premise of this play, and feel that with a touch more spookiness, it would make for a fascinating psychological debate on what really lurks within the dark; a ghost or a nightmare of the past? Cast Seren — Olivia Peacock Jess — Anastasia Sidorova Jacob — Josh Batsford Receptionist — Carol Toomey Creative team Writer / Director / Producer — Benjamin Parsons Assistant Producer — Eliza Mardlin Assistant Director — Julie-Ann Gregory Lighting Designer — Heenal Shah Reviewer Laura King is a 28 year old aspiring writer of novels and plays. She studied Production Arts at Weston College before moving to London and finding work within the theatre industry with both ATG and DMT. She has previously found work as a life admin assistant to Olivier award winner Janie Dee, and has collaborated with her on such shows as Putting It Together and Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret

'Sex always sells – we’re just the newest trade in the world’s oldest profession’ ★★ Once the audience takes their seats in the intimate, wonderfully cavernous Baron’s Court Theatre, a scrolling script plays on the back of the stage, Starwars-style. We get the marketing copy for the play’s subject and namesake: TABU is “the startup of everyone’s nightmares”. The opening script moves gracefully from gentle to funny to then increasingly disturbing as its true purpose becomes clear – to artificially generate porn which allows users to explore their “deepest, sickest fantasies”. We meet TABU’s founder, the dressing gown clad Alister, shuffling around a “4 million Kensington” Townhouse who seems to be living off supermarket meal deals, and the firm’s junior lawyer Morgyn, much more buttoned up, there to discuss the firm’s response to a recent string of scandals.  The creative team have set themselves a considerable challenge. They’re telling a story about something so contemporary and talked about that it’s difficult to find something new to serve up to an audience. The characters don’t confront the consequences of what the company has unleashed on the world so much as plan a legal response to protect its cash. There’s an intelligence in choosing to portray that unfeeling side of Big Tech. But with neither character seeming to have much emotion about the whole thing, much of the play is like sitting in on someone else’s work meeting. The violence, when it happens, feels gratuitously excessive. Women hardly need reminding of the threat of male violence, and seeing a woman repeatedly having her head smashed against a table adds little to our understanding of it, or to the story. Morgyn’s character, too, moves between the stereotype of the ice-cold professional woman and that of the quivering victim. In a play about technology which reduces women to objects of male fantasy, it’s dispiriting to meet a female character with such little complexity. TABU will play at Baron’s Court Theatre from the 24 - 27th of October 2026 BOX OFFICE: https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/grimfest2026 Cast Dolly Ananya Sahay as Morgyn Louis Cavalier as Alister Creatives: Written and Directed by Zach Lonberg Stage Managed by Lindsay Duet Produced by Lauren Herd Director/Dramturg Jaimee Doyle Fight Choreographer Shreyas Ranjan Reviewer: Naomi Elster is an award-winning Irish author and playwright living in London. Her plays have been staged in London, Dublin and New York, whilst her fiction and nonfiction have been published worldwide, including in Crannóg, Meniscus. Her work has appeared in both the Guardian and the BBC. Her pieces retell history from a women’s point of view, shining a light on Invisible disability and exploring contemporary themes such as online dating and the relationship between loneliness and misogyny.

“a witty, wickedly entertaining comedy about communicating with the dearly departed.”★★★★ There’s life in the afterlife in DATING THE DEAD, a witty, wickedly entertaining comedy about communicating with the dearly departed. Sybil (Jan Goodman) is a medium who helps the living reconnect with their loved ones on the other side. From telling a young woman that her late uncle is concerned she’s becoming a pisshead to reassuring a widower that his dead wife approves of his decision to remarry, Sybil delivers practical advice from beyond the grave, whether welcome or not. But when the murderous ghost of Mary Ann Cotton offers Sybil the chance to spend 24 hours in the afterlife with her deceased husband, she faces a potentially fatal dilemma. Mary Ann presents her with three potions: one will kill Sybil outright, one will allow her to visit the afterlife and return, and one will do absolutely nothing. As ghosts, including her recently expired neighbour, Three Doors Down Ivy (Claire Vousden), offer advice and warnings, Sybil must decide whether the risk is worth taking. Written and produced by Julie Balloo, with Tug J Wilson as co-writer and director, this is a fun romp with a sharp script, cracking one-liners and well-drawn, recognisable characters. Jan Goodman brings warmth and a matter-of-fact delivery to Sybil, who takes the supernatural mayhem in her stride and keeps us invested in her fate. Claire Vousden is a delight as Ivy, whose quirky energy and infectious enthusiasm suggest that death has improved her outlook on life. Meanwhile, Carol Been gleefully embodies notorious Victorian serial killer Mary Ann Cotton, revelling in her thoroughly malevolent determination to kill as many people as possible in the afterlife. The ghosts span different eras, from actress Peg Entwistle, a 1930s starlet who jumped from the H of the Hollywood sign, to a modern-day unfortunate. Historically accurate costumes help distinguish the characters, while the atmospheric lighting from Melody Mengyun Li and sound design by Yuyang Li and Zhuoer Zhou enhance the transitions between the everyday and the supernatural. The middle section loses momentum as successive ghostly interventions revisit Sybil’s dilemma without significantly developing it, so a little trimming would sharpen the comedy. Otherwise, DATING THE DEAD is a clever, characterful comedy with a terrific cast whose enjoyment is infectious. Box office: https://weareoldred.co.uk/whats-on/grimfest/dating-the-dead/