Review: Heisenberg by Simon Stephens at Arcola Theatre until 10 May 2025

‘An ambitious reimagining that falls short’ ★★1/2

In the bustle of St Pancras station, Heisenberg opens with an unexpected jolt—Georgie, a whirlwind of fast-talking unpredictability, kisses the neck of Alex, a quiet 70-year-old woman seated alone. Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen” blasts over the speakers, setting a bold, edgy tone.

This radical reinterpretation of Simon Stephens’ 2015 play, directed by Katharine Farmer, reframes the original story with a queer dynamic at its center. Jenny Galloway plays Alex with understated restraint, while Faline England dives headlong into Georgie’s manic energy. The two strike a visually compelling contrast—their personalities clashing and circling like two mismatched orbits.

But despite the intriguing premise, the production struggles to maintain emotional momentum. Much of the play revolves around Georgie’s relentless monologues, delivered at breakneck speed, peppered with contradictions and emotional feints. “You must find me exhausting but captivating,” she says at one point, seemingly aware of her chaos. And that line sums up the experience of watching the play: something is captivating in Georgie’s unpredictability, but it quickly becomes exhausting without enough variation or depth to sustain it.

Alex, meanwhile, feels underwritten and underutilized. Galloway’s performance suggests emotional complexity simmering beneath the surface—grief, longing, perhaps a life lived in restraint—but the script only hints at it. Her backstory is mentioned briefly and then brushed aside. As audience members, we find ourselves yearning to know more about Alex, to hear her side of the story, but the structure doesn’t allow it.

Visually, the production opens with flair—an effective train-like light rush that immerses us in the space—but that initial atmosphere fades quickly. The staging remains minimalist throughout: two practical chairs are shuffled about the stage with increasing futility. 

That said, the production does find itself in brief, beautiful moments, most notably in a quiet, post-intimacy scene. After all the words, the play finally pauses. Georgie and Alex lie side by side in silence, their bodies close, their eyes searching. Here, the dialogue stops and something genuine emerges: vulnerability, connection, the tentative quiet that follows exposure. In these silences, the play finds its truth—an intimacy more powerful than any of the preceding monologues.

Heisenberg touches on meaningful themes—loneliness, identity, grief, and the desperate human need to connect—but it often feels more like a thought experiment than a fully formed emotional journey. The writing doesn’t reach the same depth or complexity as Stephens' more impactful works like Pornography or Maria, and the emotional beats feel fleeting rather than fully realized.

Still, the queer reimagining is a welcome and overdue perspective, and there’s sincerity in the work done by the creative team. But overall, the production struggles to justify its emotional investment. It promises depth but only brushes its surface. Despite some lovely, fleeting moments of truth, Heisenberg ultimately feels like a missed connection.

Photography: Charlie Flint

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Wednesday 9th of April to Saturday 10th of May 2025 at Arcola Theatre. Tickets here

Cast and Creative Team

Director: Katherine Farmer

Cast: Jenny Galloway and Faline England

Writer: Simon Stephens

Lighting Designer: Rajiv Pattani