Not for the faint-hearted, Benny Ainsworth’s Vermin is perhaps the most disturbing piece of theatre in London today. You cannot help but have a physically visceral reaction to this play, and yet you cannot look away. This Triptych Theatre production is playing at the Arcola Theatre until April 1st, starring Sally Paffett as Rachel and Benny Ainsworth as Billy.
Rachel and Billy seem at first glance like a normal, love-struck couple; however, as a rat problem develops in their small flat, we quickly see their relationship crumble in the most disturbing, gut-wrenching ways possible. Ainsworth and Paffett are so phenomenal in their roles that I often found myself forgetting that this was just a piece of theatre, feeling as though I was actually caught up in a real couple’s argument at numerous points in the play. Their emotion is brought so closely to the surface that you cannot help but become totally immersed in their anger, pain, and love. Ainsworth as Billy channels a constant level of horror throughout, seemingly in complete control of it, holding it back in some areas, only to fully unleash it in others, puppeteering the audience’s emotions with ease. Paffett at first seems to bring a lighter side to this piece, as Rachel attempts time and time again to diffuse the anger Ainsworth brings to the play, and yet she gives some of the most emotionally devastating scenes of all, leaving the audience breathless in the tragic final moments of the play.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the play was the simplicity of its set design, consisting of nothing more than two chairs on an empty stage. Despite this barebones structure, this in no way limits the play, as the actors do not need to rely on their surroundings to draw the audience into their story. If anything, the lack of staging only makes the play seem all the more real, as it complements the idea that Billy and Rachel are retelling a traumatic story to a group of friends, as opposed to us watching it all play out in real time. There is nothing to distract us from the characters themselves, adding to the play’s intense intimacy. The set is also amplified by Alex Lewer’s lighting design, which subtly draws us further into the mental psyche of both Billy and Rachel respectively. The further they spiral, the more sombre and menacing the lighting becomes. Every detail in this play is intentional.
Overall, Vermin masterfully combines humour and the grotesque in a way that is so chilling, you feel like a completely changed person after viewing it. I would warn not to take its content warnings lightly – this play is incredibly intense and should not be viewed nonchalantly. You need to be in the right headspace to see this. Either way, this play will stick with you, whether you want it to or not.
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End
- A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE - A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503 - PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE - GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, High Tide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE - CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH
Drum roll please…(Cue a literal drum rolling across the stage.) The Lyric pantomime is one of traditions with the return of many well-loved jokes and skits. Costumes and sets are all made at the Lyric itself by Good Teeth, with set pieces being reused year on year. This year Cinderella gets the Hammersmith makeover, with some success. The costuming is fun and vibrant, with the ugly stepsisters’ equine pyjamas and hoop-skirted ball gowns giving all the wrong kinds of extra you need for those characters. Cinderella’s on stage dress transformation is magical and really well-timed. The Dame, Lady Jelly-Bottom’s, outfits … More CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH