REVIEW: Neverland by Act II at Lion & Unicorn Theatre / Camden Fringe / 2 – 5 August 2023

‘a visual and auditory feast’ ★★★★ ½

I walked to the door and a cynical bouncer (Maddie Dunn) asked if I had tickets for the festival. A bit flummoxed, I mentioned that I had already spoken to someone about my ticket for the show. She let me in but pointed to a guy from whom I should get a wristband. He was smiley and happy, and I grabbed a seat beside the grumpiest audience member I have ever seen being harangued by a ‘security’ team member (Yuqi Liang) who was gauging ‘intoxication levels’. And thus began my experience with the most energetic team of performers.

With a large tent in one corner, which acted as a magician’s sleeve, as character after character emerged, you could already get the festival feel. These characters served to remind us of the people you can meet in a large outdoor festival, from the brilliant one (Brooke Camilleri Agius) who worries about chakras and “spiritual alignment” to the geezer who wants to get on with everyone to the 60-year-old ‘angel’ serving out tablets of MDMA. With creative transitions and imaginative choreography (beautifully directed by Amy Tickner), the team breathed life into the experience of so many bodies coming together.

The other corner had a mixer, computer, and DJ Derek (Ansh Mehta) with his guitar and beautiful voice. The music was constant, shifting, and rhythmic. My feet kept tapping. The lighting adapted to the festival mood.

Four members of the cast, holding four different pieces of clothing (track suit bottoms, top, shoes, and hat), made the clothes come alive; all six took us through a rave experience and an ad lib game and a choreographed scene to recognise all those pints of beer that people have to slave over the taps to pour. One very energetic character (Rosie Pierce) claimed that “time is a social construct” while her legs amazingly never stopped moving.

It was a visual and auditory feast.

In Neverland I was never bored, often astonished. As they said in the piece, at a festival you can be anybody. I left feeling that endless possibility. 

It is legend that Frank Zappa said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. If that’s the case, I have no chance of truly expressing the good feelings of being at this immersive experience.

Just go.

NEVERLAND

Lion and Unicorn Theatre

Bookings https://camdenfringe.com/events/neverland/

Performed by Rosie Pierce, Ansh Mehta, Drew Gregg, Maddie Dunn, Brooke Camilleri Agius, Yuqi Liang

Devised by cast and crew

Directed by Amy Tickner

Produced by Gabrielle Osella

Reviewed by Mariam Mathew