THE PLAY’S THE THING at White Bear Theatre 20 – 31 October 2026
‘A fascinating insight into aspects of theatre’ ★★★ ½
THE PLAY’S THE THING is not to be confused with Mark Lockyer’s one-man adaptation of Hamlet. Taking the same quote from Hamlet for its title, this play features a large cast of seven actors and a clever scenario in three parts, which has resonances with Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
It is meta-theatre, which contains stories within three stories, for audiences to unpack. Billed as a ‘love letter to pub theatre’ it has a black box setting with only minimal lighting and sound and offers a fascinating insight three into different aspects of theatre.
Taken on one level, the humour might be grim, of the ‘thank goodness it isn’t happening to me’ variety, or maybe even a touch of schadenfreude, but the tragedy is clear.
In the first part, written and directed by Maya Yousif, we’re in a rehearsal room observing a director and actor at work. The Director (Andrew Friedman) is working on drawing out a ‘real’ performance from The Actor (Rachel Kitts). This is my personal favourite of the three because it shows how vulnerable an actor can be, especially in the hands of a driven director who pushes them to their limits. Finding the kernel which enables them to give their best performance can be truly exhausting, and brave; it takes a huge commitment and depth of self-awareness. Fascinating to see how cruel the director becomes in his desire to ‘make’ the actor. This section builds beautifully, to a moment of truth so real that The Actor breaks down, as she relives a personal tragedy of her own. A truly absorbing piece, well directed by Yousif.
The second part, written and directed by Rachel Kitts, hones-in on the playwright. Maisie (Francesca D’Souza) has decided to stage a play and invites two of her friends (played by Jessica Wendy Murdoch and Anthony Nyro) to see it. The story raises interesting questions, firstly a play can be so ‘cleverly’ written than it becomes opaque. How far should a playwright trust the audience to understand their script? Alternatively, how can they be clearer without being too on the nose? In this particular scenario the real problem is that the playwright has written a play about her friends, and it’s not flattering, which raises all sorts of ethical questions.
The third part, written and directed by Jessica Wendy Murdoch, shows us the audience reaction. Hilariously, the Man (Jacob Freda) believes the show is about himself. How delectable. His Wife (Ella Blackburn) is more concerned with the romance of their ten-year anniversary, having expected something better than a night out in a pub theatre. A delightfully annoying point to make but undoubtedly shared with other members of the theatre going audiences. Suffice it to say, that the couple bicker dreadfully.
It’s always a pleasure to see a large cast in a pub theatre and Happy Cannibals production company have considerable talent between them. Let us hope that when they make it big, they will not forget their humble origins, as so many theatre makers do.
Pub Theatre rule, okay!
