Reviews

‘Nick Bromley’s understated and efficient direction gives the script room to breathe and lets the performances flourish’ ★★★★ ½ Three strangers sit on a park bench, watching the sunset and listening to music. But that’s not all. Trevor (John Gorick) is losing his memory. Peaches (Rita Estevanovich) wants answers. And Matt (Sam Hill) just wants to get on with it. What starts out as a seemingly clear-cut and rather unnerving situation turns into something that we should have seen coming but didn’t. As Trevor recounts the many episodes of his colourful life with the help of some carefully chosen tunes to jog his memory, we begin to understand what’s really going on and the payoff at the end is fantastic. Duncan Campbell’s On Demand peels back the layers beautifully, revealing a family saga at the centre of it all. Multigenerational trauma, identity crisis and regrets all come to light and we can’t help but relate to it all. In true Harold Pinter fashion, On Demand is about characters. It’s about dialogue. And revelations. It’s about three people who would never have met otherwise, if not for these extraordinary circumstances. Three strangers who come together to settle some scores, with a very specific purpose, and who end up getting more out of it than they anticipated. Nick Bromley's understated and efficient direction gives the script room to breathe and lets the performances flourish. Gorick shines as Trevor, and Estevanovich and Hill aren’t far behind him either. An unusual blend of characters that works in all the right places. Photo credit is Matt Hunter ON DEMAND A Take Note Theatre Production Tabard Theatre, 25 June – 12 July Playing Wednesday to Friday at 7.30pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 6pm Full schedule and tickets: https://tabard.org.uk/whats-on/on-demand/ Tickets: From £18. Running time approximately 70 minutes, no interval. The Cast Trevor John Gorick Peaches Rita Estevanovich Matt | Sam Hill The Creatives Writer | Duncan Campbell Director | Nick Bromley Produced by | Simon Reilly and Sarah Reilly for Take Note Theatre Reviewer Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright and pop culture blogger. Her TV pilot has been a finalist in many scriptwriting contests, her play HABITAT premiered in 2024 at the Optik Theatre and her film OPEN HELL will be coming out later this year.

'some clever writing with funny lines throughout ... and a chance to support an important cause' ★★★ Three in one makes… a trinity. Gabe (Noah Edmondson) is a typical teenager. Or is he an angel? This is what is being resolved in the first act of God, The Devil, and Me. A cleverly unfolding story, it opens with a baby-faced, surprisingly agreeable, devil (Campbell Maddox) in red vest and top hat, inviting a sweary God (Neo Jelfs), reluctant to participate, to join in the fun. That fun is helping Gabe, an asocial retro-teen (he listens to ‘80s music - on vinyl), understand his past and believe in his destiny. This God has swaggering confidence, is easily annoyed, and arrives in modern chic glory with a white suit and white top hat. He is only mildly bothered by religious jokes, of which there are many in this piece. Sam (Miranda McEwen) is a friend who’s disliked by both God and the Devil, and she tries to get Gabe to come out and get to know other people, while his mother (Fionnuala Donnelly, also the writer and director) is truly confused how to help. This is some clever writing with funny lines throughout, though also self-deprecating, as God (the character) demands better writing; I’m not sure it always lands as much as pulls us out of the story. Taking on one of the most important topics for young people today, mental health, the comedy aspects can take away from the gravity of the situation (there is one canned laughter scene that goes from funny to confusing to slightly irritating), but also allows levity in what would otherwise be very dark matter indeed. What is lovely is the sense of hope for Gabe and teens like him delivered without being overly didactic about it. The tone of the second act alters quite drastically, and the female cast are given more of a starring role as the “support” team: friend, mother, new friend (Angel Johnson) (a new trinity?). With a young production company providing both a fun playlist as part of the show, and a chance to support an important cause (Young Minds), this is a piece that gives hope for the future of theatre. BOX OFFICE Written by Fionnuala Donnelly Performed by Campbell Maddox, Neo Jelfs, Noah Edmondson, Miranda McEwen, Fionnuala Donnelly, Angel Johnson Directed by Fionnuala Donnelly Lead Producer: Fionnuala Donnelly Producer: Neo Jelfs, Noah Edmondson

'Visually engaging '★★★ 1/2 If you thought Jersey might be the dullest place in the British Isles, then prepare to have this idea blown out the water. Not only was Jersey occupied by the Nazis in World War II, but it was also home to an LGBTQ+ Icon, one even too weird and unfathomable for the Surrealists, a Guerrilla artist before Banksy, a sexual outlaw, Jewish lesbian, and a subversive performer. Who is Claude Cahun? by D.R Hill brings the story of this extraordinary, layered, and multifaceted individual, for many decades a footnote in art history, to the stage where she can bask in the spotlight. This production by DRH Arts in Association with Exchange Theatre and directed by David Furlong moves back and forth between the avant-garde art scene of 1930s Paris and stultifying provincial, German-occupied Jersey of the 1940s. At the heart of this narrative is a love story between two women: Lucy Schwob (AKA Claude Cahun) and her partner and photographer, Marcel Moore who live together on the island. When Schwob’s birthmother, a ball of raging despotic disappointment, played by Sharon Drain, is sent to the asylum, her father married Moore’s mother, legally binding the two as step-sisters and providing the cover they need for the love that dare not speak its name. The androgynous Claude Cahun, who wears men’s clothes and smokes a pipe, is played by Rivkah Bunker who channels a young and earnest Frances de la Tour. Her appearance is sympathetic to photographs of Cahun, an assemblage of flat planes and right angles, “she looks like a man” , comments one of the Nazis. Her ‘sister’, Amelia Armande conveys a softer, more maternal presence, a tea dress clad, supportive partner – the kind of ‘wife’ every artist needs. By day, they give the impression of quiet, conforming sisters but under cover of darkness, they plaster anti-war slogans around the island to resist fascism; Cahun is the ‘soldier with no name.’ When caught, they are tried and sentenced to hanging but eventually reprieved by a Nazi with a heart. At 2 hours 15 with an interval, Who is Claude Cahun? feels unnecessarily long. A cast of five, two men and three women, gamely multi-role. The male characters are often quite comical. Andre Breton (Gethin Alderman) and George Bataille (Ben Bela Böhm) are almost preposterous as the egotistical artists leading the surrealist way, in many ways too fixed and conventional to embrace Cahun. Nazis and nosy neighbours have a similarly pantomime quality but what’s quite interesting is how certain they all are. “A good German does not have doubts. He knows who he is.” This idea of absolutism is rendered rather quaint while Cahun’s ambiguity, uncertainty and questioning of her own identity and her place in the world, seems more contemporary. She was ahead of her time in many ways. Visually and aesthetically, lots of thought has gone into this production which recreates key photographs through both costumes, dramatic masks & capes by Carla Joy Evans and evocative projection mapping by Jeffrey Choy. These clearly explain both the historical context and creative/political impulses of the artist. The script shines a light on some of the frustrations of her silent photographer partner who gave such a vital visual record to the world. There is probably too much exposition and a slightly uncomfortable dramatic relationship between the historic reenactments and more abstract segments of the Cahun sensibility which combine movement & song. Some of the transitions feel clunky, making us aware we are watching a play. Despite it being a very thorough examination of the artist’s life and story, it is somewhat passionless when it comes to the core relationship. Nonetheless, there’s plenty to enjoy and consider here, namely the remarkable story of an artist everyone should know and the rehabilitation of Jersey as a place of interest. Photography: Paddy Gormley Book Tickets The Company Rivkah Bunke r Claude Cahun Amelia Armande Marcel Moore Ben Bela Böhm multiple roles Sharon Drain multiple roles Gethin Alderman multiple roles D.R. Hill Writer David Furlong Director Juliette Demoulin Designer Jeffrey Choy Moving Image and Projection Mapping Matthew Biss Lighting Designer Carla Joy Evans Costume Designer

‘Dastardly doings and silliness galore at a Scouts’ jamboree’ ★★★★ Scouts from around the world have gathered to compete at the annual Scouts Games, but Faye Kename, aka Charlotte, has a devious plot to scupper things. It’s up to Joe and Eliza to save the day. Scouts! The Musical may have a plot thinner than rice paper, but the plot is not the point. Excellent musicianship, fast paced storytelling and high energy musical numbers are what this show is about. The nod to The Rocky Horror Show in the “Trance Dance” was very funny for those in the know. The cast did an excellent job of keeping the audience engaged and entertained. Their ensemble work was top notch. Not only were they well matched vocally, their generosity towards each other, knowing when to ramp up their energy and when to hold back to allow others to shine, was a delight to witness. Many of them played multiple musical instruments, handing guitars, the keyboard and drumkit over to each other seamlessly. Shout out to Emily Kitchingham, who played the villain of the piece superbly and effortlessly brought a range of vocal colours to her singing. Katie Pritchard’s physical comedy as Rosie was excellent. It was a shame that Kemi Clarke as Scout Leader Dylan did not get more time in the limelight, as when he was at the centre of the action his energy and stage presence were captivating. I did feel sorry for Heather Gourdie as the narrator. Her role seemed superfluous to needs and the show would have done better without it – no reflection on Gourdie at all, who was clearly a strong performer. The musical balance was off too, with the music way too loud, leaving the singers struggling to be heard at points, even though they were belting out their numbers.  The show I saw was packed with Scouts and their leaders, who seemed to be having a great time, but even as someone who has never been a scout or a girl guide, the humour was clear and the ethos of the Scouts shone through. Scouts! The Musical is well worth catching if it comes your way. Scouts! The Musical by Giggulmug Comedy at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, 21-22 June 2025, https://upstairsatthegatehouse.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173661614 Also at The Egg Theatre in Bath (26th - 29th June). All tickets are available here: https://linktr.ee/TheGigglemug Cast: Eleanor Fransch, Burhan Kathawala, Kemi Clarke, Katie Pritchard, Emily Kitchingham, Rob Gathercole & Heather Gourdie Directed by Sam Cochrane Musical Direction by Rob Gathercole Book & Lyrics by Sam Cochrane Music & Lyrics by David Fallon Lighting Design by Damian Robertson Set Lauren Jones, Iza Fordham, Emily Cave, Aleyna Feran, Abbie Hardcastle, Ema Cunha Reviewer: Srabani Sen Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full length plays. Her play Tawaif was longlisted for the ETPEP Finborough award, and her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.

'joyful exuberance' ★★★★ How do you describe feeling like an interloper at a joyful celebration? That celebration was a journey through Africa: 11 sojourners, 7 days for each traveller, based on Femi Elufowoju Jr’s attempt to journey to all 54 nations in Africa before his 60th birthday. Thus was born a play idea: 54 (African countries), 60 (years old). The incredibly talented Elufowoju is no stranger to theatre, and in this piece he is writer, lyricist, director, and (due to a cast member’s illness) actor (with script in hand). He is capable of this and more, demonstrating the diversity of a continent some refer to as a single nation, a monolith. His goal, perhaps ambitious, is to display the range of experiences and stories and delights of this region, while processing his own travel experiences through theatre. The ensemble is electric, both energized and loving. The beats begin before the audience is even seated, much less settled. The music, performed by The Ganda Boys (Denis Mugagga and Daniel Sewagudde), sizzles as they sing, dance and play a variety of instruments, including the adungu, a kind of curved harp. Every member is at the top of their game, with the ability to dance, sing, and multi-role. Tying with the music beautifully is the ever-changing lighting, the simple but effective staging of national flags and names throughout the audience seats, and an open stage (initially with a coffin, but soon to be so much else). There is a veritable buffet of talents on display, but It is hard not to notice certain ones on display: Munashe Chirisa in his comic role as a Ugandan shopkeeper; Liana Cottrill given time to explore her exceptional dancing through a solo piece; Adil Hassan’s accents, as Africa 7 but also an aggressive Libyan citizen. Mother (Yaa) Africa (Suzette Llewellyn) is supposed to provide a throughline, with her urgency and elegance, though it still didn’t give a driving clarity for her call to this journey. All of the travelers are named Africa with a number (1-11), it was confusing why their names had to be the same as the continent they are exploring, “Africa with an A” often said. Covering 54 countries meant in some cases that the countries were just mentioned as places come from or heading towards. Nevertheless, the 11 Africas reunited in The Gambia, a country about to celebrate its 60th year as a nation. In a brief closure, Yaa Africa commends the successful explorers, and brings the journey to a close with a radiant dress change. Despite these moments of confusion, I immensely enjoyed the ‘glue’ connecting the edges. Besides the dancing and singing, at the end of the intermission the stage becomes a veritable marketplace: vendors boldly selling sunglasses, CDs, wigs, t-shirts, and Bournevita, while bargaining prices with audience members. The joy and variety of African stories from various countries reminded me at times of Barbershop Chronicles by Inua Ellams, which took transcripts of hours of actual dialogue and converted them to the stage, though lacking the same depth of narrative. The short snippets of conversations likely experienced by Femi during his travels are fun and funny and even start to explore questions of identity and belonging. Particularly evocative is the mention of the hypocrisy of the West using global conferences to deal with climate change (“COP this, COP that. And when you COP together, you hop from private jets”). Or the scene when they discussed how the MV Aureol was the equivalent ship as the Windrush transporting West Africans but that there was no mention of Africa in British education when the author was growing up. All that was given was little factsheets that focused mainly on the West Indies. Great food for thought, each which could be given more breadth. Despite the joyful exuberance, there is a message at the heart (albeit a labyrinthine one): Africa is not to be dismissed or forgotten. Its 54 countries are continually rising from their own complex histories and glorious stories. I realized, by the end, that I was not the only interloper - anyone who can assume to know all of a continent by connection to merely one nation within is also a stranger in a strange land. Fortunately, Femi aimed to rectify that by his 60th birthday, with the help of an army of amazing talent. 54.60 Africa by Femi Elufowoju Jr. at Arcola Theatre, 14 June - 12 July, 2025 Box Office Performed by Suzette Llewellyn, Femi Elufowoju,Jr., Munashe Chirasa, Christoher Mbaki, Liana Cottrill, Ayo-Dele Edwards, Adil Hassan, Usifu Jalloh, Funlola Olufunwa and The Ganda Boys Femi Elufowoju jr Writer and Director ULTZ Production Designer Kemi Durosinmi Associate Director and Choreographer/Movement Director Emmanuel Edwards Music Director/Composer/Sound Designer Charles Balfour Lighting Designer Mert Dilek Dramaturg Joe Prentice Production Manager Naomi Shanson Stage Manager (on book) Joe Collins Assistant Stage Manager Thomas Kell (Elufowoju jr Ensemble) Associate Producer Mark Simmonds Associate Designer Maybelle Laye Costume Supervisor Sammy Emmins Lighting Programmer Luis Gustavo Silva Navarro Sound No. 1  Lanre Njoku Songwriter & Session Musician Photography: Alex Brenner

‘two shows for the price of one’ ★★ ½ Paradigm’s ambitious co-production with the Drayton Arms Theatre offers two shows for the price of one. Both are one-person plays that take place on their eponymous days, with the running order alternating each night. On the evening I attended, "Fathers’ Day" played first. "Fathers’ Day" follows Joe, a down-on-his-luck dad who is denied access to his son, Davey. This is partly a product of his inflexible job as a plane cleaner, and partly a product of his inflexible ex-wife denying him time with his son. When he learns just how little his manager thinks of him, Joe hijacks the plane he’s cleaning and takes off into the skies over Luton. There’s a lot to admire here. Writer Giles Fernando attempts something formally bold: a closed-time, closed-space one-person show where the protagonist never directly addresses the audience. Instead, the action unfolds through phone calls, selfie videos, and radio communications. Director Penny Gkritzapi complements the intensity baked into the script with her stripped-back set: for most of the show, it’s just Joe and the pilot’s seat. El Anthony gives a committed performance as Joe, throwing himself into the in-flight moments with real physical energy. But the play didn’t quite take off for me (apologies for the pun). The sound quality of the pre-recorded audio was patchy, and I struggled to catch several lines. More critically, the energy felt oddly flat – particularly in the moments of crisis. The sound design could have done more to heighten key beats: the first take-off, the mid-air stall, the final triumphant loop-the-loop. These moments lacked the punch they needed. Dramatically, the stakes also felt off. An unsanctioned flight is both incredibly dangerous and incredibly illegal. I never bought that Joe had been pushed to the psychological state necessary to do something so drastic. Nor did the script make a strong case that it could be justified, even internally, as an act of love for his son. Furthermore, the radio exchanges, especially with air traffic controller Kerry, felt too light, too flirty, too disconnected from the gravity of the situation. Whilst Kerry would of course want to keep Joe on side, their interactions lacked any subtext or edge that you’d expect in a context where one wrong move from Joe could result in a fatal plane crash. After the interval, there was a clear gear change (perhaps another pun – do planes have gears?). "Mothers’ Day" is a shift in tone and form. Pauline, a seasoned film extra, addresses the audience directly, walking us through her illustrious career; her leg had a starring moment in "No Time to Die". As she tells us her story, the intergenerational tensions that have shaped her life rise to the surface. We uncover the strain between Pauline, her mother, and her daughter Samantha: three generations of women who have felt robbed by their daughters and restrained by their mothers. Fernando’s script has some genuinely funny moments, and Sarah Wanendeya brings real warmth and charm to the role. One standout scene – a strained family afternoon tea – crackled with tension, and Wanendeya delivered it brilliantly. However, the play too often drifts from its emotional core – the mother-daughter relationships – in favour of spending time on Pauline’s on-set shenanigans. While these anecdotes are entertaining, they begin to feel repetitive in the second half, crowding out any deeper exploration of family dynamics. The two plays have clear thematic parallels: one features a father desperate to succeed for his child; the other, a mother determined to succeed despite hers. That said, it’s a tall order to ask audiences to sit through two one-hour monologues back-to-back, especially when they differ so starkly in style and tone. The ambition is admirable, but I left feeling that each show might have landed more powerfully on its own. Mothers' Day/Fathers' Day by Giles Fernando / Drayton Arms Theatre / 17 – 21 June 2025 https://www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/mothers-day-fathers-day

 ‘A brilliant insight into complicated women’ ★★★★ Based on an astonishing true story, ‘I Love You Michael, From Nadine’ brilliantly combines fact and fiction to paint a picture of a forgotten anti-hero. The play opens in a 1980s French jazz bar, with Young Nadine (Ellie Baldwin) offering us a final ballad – her swan song. Between singing and reminiscing, we move between past and present, with both Young Nadine and modern-day Nadine (Kate Harbour) recounting her story: to both the audience, and to a clumsy, faux boiler engineer Cece (Megan Marszal) - who has secrets of her own. Writer Megan Marszal (winner of the London Pub Theatre Awards Best Solo Show 2024) offers the audience something for everyone: familial love, loss, excitement, humour, and the sexy glamour of (mostly) victimless, high-class crime. She dances from plot twist to plot twist, keeping the audience on our toes with no room to relax – reflecting the conversations between the women before us. Director Charlotte Sheehan never missed a beat, and the chemistry between the three actors sailed us through the 75 minutes. The crew’s collaboration elevates the script – particularly with Rhys Cannon’s transformative set design – a truly remarkable feat that brings us back to present day with every familiar interaction, giving a fantastical story a grounding base. However, I do feel there was perhaps one plot-twist too many, and whilst the general pacing of the show was seamless, I wonder how much of the true story was rushed through to get to the end. As the infamous tale about the helicopter prison escape, didn’t appear until the third act it could evoke an impatience in the audience that the present-tense plot-twists were not enough to satiate. Ultimately, ‘I Love You Michael, From Nadine’ is a brilliant insight into complicated women, who aren’t bound by the shadows of the men who create them. Review by Anna Rastelli CAST Young Nadine - Ellie Baldwin Cece - Megan Marszal Nadine - Kate Harbour CREW Directed by Charlotte Sheehan Lighting and Sound Design by Cameron Pike Set Design by Rhys Cannon Visual Design by Yasmin Lucas A MediumRare Production

“Hilarious and somehow disturbing exploration of disposable consumerism, with hints of Black Mirror” ★★★ Returning to where it all began, acclaimed writer/performer Claire Dowie brings a retrospective repertoire of some of her greatest hits to the Finborough Theatre. In one of these pieces, See Primark and Die (Buy Little, Buy Less, Buy Nothing at All) , Dowie uses her unique “stand-up theatre” style to tell us the story of an ordinary, bargain-loving, and slightly “frayed at the edges” woman’s descent into the liberating madness of a new, secret epidemic called Shopophobia. Suppressed by the media, the illness is spreading through the population causing an unspoken Jedi revolution of scavengers and zero wasters. It’s a deeply intelligent and deceptively madcap monologue that is as relevant today, if not more so, with even more “tat” having moved online, as it would have been when it debuted in 2010. Beginning with a sudden panic attack in one of her favourite places, Peckham Primark, Dowie’s character finds herself experiencing a series of unusual occurrences, from knowing strangers to a laundry-line apparition, that take her into this black hole of shopping terror. What then follows is a sometimes hilarious and somehow disturbing exploration of disposable consumerism, with hints of Black Mirror or JG Ballard’s societal breakdown dystopia, High-Rise. I wonder if some of the more bleak political realities of globalised fast fashion have come to light in the years since it was originally performed and if reference to any of these could enhance the piece, not to mention the influx of AI-generated products currently flooding the internet. But nonetheless there’s certainly enough in there already to make a pitch-perfect satire of isms: quirky British shopping habits, capitalism, materialism, environmentalism. Overall, this is a tricky one though. Dowie is undoubtedly a huge talent with a distinguished career and a charismatic stage presence. The content of the piece is excellent and she’s naturally funny. But because of the fusion of stand-up with monologue, it can be difficult to know what’s fumbled and what’s deliberate: is something a stylistic innovation or just a mistake? In this case, quite frequently bungled lines have the potential to add to the performance, to be used to its advantage in creating character, tone, and form. If anything, this technique is actually required for that mode of storytelling. Here, though, I must admit that I found it distracting. Though I loved her personal style, it’s hard to achieve complete immersion if you find yourself concerned that lines, and often really good ones, are going to be forgotten, or fluffed, or rushed. Now, I wonder if some of that is because Dowie has undertaken the admirable task of performing many different monologue pieces at the same time throughout the season. And I also wonder if this is one of those rare cases where someone else’s interpretation of her brilliant text might bring it to life in a different way – incidentally, there have been many other international performances of it, as well as in Italian and German, and a large-cast version coming up later in the year. And I also wonder if some of that is just me – maybe I haven’t fully “got” the performance style. Or maybe, given that it’s her swansong, her heart isn’t as totally in it as it might have been. It is, in any case, warm, authentic, intelligent and without pretension, a rare piece of theatre. And I call that a bargain. Photography: Colin Watkeys See Primark and Die (Buy Little, Buy Less, Buy Nothing at All) Written by Claire Dowie Directed by Colin Watkeys Finborough Theatre, 10 June – 5 July 2025 Box Office: https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/claire-dowies-swansong/ Reviewed by Alix Owen

‘Light and entertaining examination of success and failure’ ★★★ Two males sit opposite each other in an awkward space. It soon becomes clear these two have previously crossed paths. One’s a jobbing slash failing actor. The other, is his former examiner who once awarded him the perfect grade of 100%. But if the actor was able to warrant such a flawless assessment, how come he can’t land any roles? How come, a decade after this eponymous grade, his unquestionable talent not been recognised or rewarded? And, why has he been dropped by his agent? The desperate actor, slightly odd, possibly a bit unhinged, demands answers. Played by one of the writers and originator of the piece Benjamine Sumrie (co-writers are Marco Biasioli and Liam Grogan) insecurity and low self-esteem seethe from every pore. The Scouse examiner, David Allen, who in his time has processed hundreds of young thespians in an educational factory somewhere, has no real memory of the individual before him and, finds himself in a game of wits, trying to double guess the motives of this young man, who has now worryingly locked the door. How the dynamics of this relationship play out in the claustrophic environment of the actor’s home – well recreated in the basement of Barons Court Theatre - form the arc of the piece. The power shifts and character reversals, keep the energy up for an entertaining hour of theatre. Hell hath no fury like an entitled ex-student but who is the biggest failure of the two? “It’s true, those who can’t do, teach” admits the examiner, once an understudy at the Lyric. Who exactly has had the most miserable work life? Who has achieved the least? It’s a fun premise for a two hander, but the characters are a little flat and could be more rounded. What has made the actor so desperate for validation? There’s a suggestion his issues have deeper roots, but this is not explored. There’s also a class element that hovers but remains unploughed. The ex-student, from a comfortable background, can languish in gainful unemployment in the parental home, in “a performativity of hardship.” The examiner, meanwhile, who becomes more Uber Scouse as tensions rise, must work to survive including work he doesn’t particularly like, such as examining young actors. One Hundred Percent is a comic two hander played for laughs. It cocks a snook at educational environments who fill students’ heads with unrealistic ideals and questions the meaninglessness of metrics when assessing arts-based subjects. Because the title and the promotional blurb give away the premise, there are few surprises for an audience and the somewhat predictable ending has the lightness of a comedy sketch. The direction could be more dynamic, and the space used more inventively but nonetheless, One Hundred Percent is an entertaining look at failure, success and how this is gauged. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT at Barons Court Theatre 17 – 21 June 2025 BOX OFFICE https://www.baronscourttheatre.com/100 Presented by Precarious Theatre Director: Liam Grogan Writers: Benjamin Sumrie, Marco Biasioli, and Liam Grogan Producers: Liam Grogan and Benjamin Sumrie Assistant Director: David Allen Assistant Producer: Francesca Maria Izzo ​ Cast: ACTOR - Benjamin Sumrie EXAMINER - Francesca Maria Izzo & David Allen (alternating nights)