★★★★★

“a relentless rollercoaster of laughter and spectacle”

Dweeb-A-Mania is an electrifying burst of theatrical joy — a letter to every young mind that dares to be different. From the moment you enter, the air crackles with expectation, promising a show that doesn’t just invite you in, but sweeps you up in its nerd-charged energy.

The immersive, in-the-round staging is the production’s stroke of genius. The actors don’t merely enter—they emerge from all four sides, instantly drawing everyone into the story. We are not mere spectators in the world of Kemi and Norah, the titular “mega-nerds”; we are guests in their sanctum.

The cast brings the story vividly to life. Playing the “mega-nerd” best friends, Norah (Amy Blake) and Kemi (Chidera Ikechukwu) are a delight, capturing both the intellectual swagger and the social vulnerability of bright teenagers with heartwarming authenticity. Their friendship—with its fierce loyalty and small, corrosive lies—feels painfully real.

The entrance of the popular boy, Bentley, hits like a theatrical lightning bolt. Tom Storey, who plays Bentley, commands the space with charismatic swagger, perfectly disrupting the nerds’ ordered world. His performance—along with several others—uses a heightened, physically expressive style, perfectly pitched for the young audience and ensuring every comedic and emotional beat lands clearly across the entire 360-degree space. Grace Carroll, as Lily, also adds delightful moments to the story.

Hannah Stone’s direction is a triumph of precision and pace. Managing narrative flow in such an exposed configuration is no easy task, yet she orchestrates the action flawlessly. The 50-minute runtime flies by on a relentless rollercoaster of laughter and spectacle. Scene changes are smooth and dynamic, while minimalist set design (Katie Lias) is a masterstroke—providing a scaffold for young imaginations to run wild. The energy is further lifted by pulsating electronic score (Ellie Isherwood) and sharp lighting design (Jane Lalljee). You never feel you’ve missed a moment, even when an actor’s back is turned.

Sarah Middleton’s award-winning script is a marvel, and it’s easy to see why it stood out. Every seemingly throwaway line is a carefully planted seed, paying off brilliantly in the climactic sequence. The eruption of “smoke donuts” and a volley of rubber chickens provoke a chorus of delighted screams from children and anarchic cheers from adults alike.

If the dialogue occasionally sprints ahead of its youngest viewers, it never loses its charm. Dweeb-A-Mania proves that smart theatre for young audiences can still be wild, anarchic fun.

Overall, Dweeb-A-Mania is more than a play—it’s a celebration of the smart, the quirky, and the unapologetically passionate. It entertains, inspires, and builds a temporary but beautiful community of nerds. An unequivocal triumph.

THE BOY WITH WINGS

Polka Theatre

★★★

“promises to enchant a new generation with the art of live theatre”

The Boy with Wings, a new co-production between Polka Theatre and Birmingham Rep, and based on the book by Sir Lenny Henry, is a visually stunning show perfectly packaged for younger viewers with lots of heart and some important life lessons.

Adapted for the stage by Arvind Ethan David, we follow Tunde (Adiel Boboye), a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his mum, as he pursues his dream of reuniting with his absent father. Assisted by his newly acquired best friends Kylie (Millie Elkins-Green) and Dev (Samir Mahat), Tunde soon receives a shock when he magically sprouts wings and begins to fly. Thus begins a series of events that throw the gang straight into a war that is raging between two alien races: the talking cats and the bird folk. There’s twists and turns enough to keep the children in the audience on the edge of their seats, and the show becomes a cheerful example of the futile nature of war.

This is, at its heart, a story about finding peace and commonality in starkly opposing characters; as leader of the cats, Juba (Jessica Murrain), reminds us: ‘The reasons for war can often seem many, but when it comes down to it there aren’t any’. The message a strong one, as is that of the importance of unconditional support in friendships. One only wishes someone would’ve also reassured Tunde that it’s really okay for a young boy to cry over his estranged father.

The cast overall bring dynamic performances to this quirky children’s tale. Mahat brings an infectious vigour to his role which is neatly contrasted with Elkins-Green’s suitably wiser-than-her-years, sarcastic tones. Boboye as Tunde is sweet and hopeful, while Mia Jerome as his mother, Ruth, brings delightful life to her moments of heavy exposition.

The costumes (Laura McEwen) and lighting design (Gillian Tan) are bright, beautiful and perfect for little eyes; the grand, sweeping wings of Tunde and his father are a particularly world-transporting highlight. The set design (also McEwen) is truly outstanding; it balances gorgeous imagery with diverse practical use and allows us to witness some perky parkour, dramatic character reveals, and even includes a plethora of wheelchair accessible ramps which Elkins-Green makes good use of, spinning around the stage with utter confidence.

While not branded as a musical per se, this production is let down by its songs (Arvind Ethan David and Khalil Madovi). Though the rap elements are electric and engaging – Stephan Boyce as Aaven especially brings a certain energy and humour that is hard to escape – the songs feel superfluous. The show fails to justify the need for the sung content and these moments never pack any sort of punch; whether this is from poor writing, the actors looking rather uncomfortable to be singing or a mix of both, it’s hard to tell. That said, the joyous audience participation in the finale song is enough to forgive its irrelevance to the show’s structure, and indeed the children in the audience are far more enjoying singing along than debating the merits of prose versus song.

Directed by Daniel Bailey, this show is a strong offering to the landscape of children’s theatre. It does an admirable job of squeezing the excitement of the original story onto a relatively small stage, but one can’t help but feel like the sparkle of the book doesn’t quite shine all the way through. Despite a couple of small timing and diction issues, The Boy with Wings is a joyful experience to watch and an easily accessible show for any child. Blending strong performances with heartfelt content, this show promises to enchant a new generation with the art of live theatre.

Tag Archives: Adela Ursachi

DWEEB-A-MANIA

★★★★★

Polka Theatre

DWEEB-A-MANIA

Polka Theatre

★★★★★

“a relentless rollercoaster of laughter and spectacle”

DWEEB-A-MANIA

Polka Theatre

Reviewed on 10th October 2025

by Portia Yuran Li

Photography by Jake Bush and Adela Ursachi

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE BOY WITH WINGS | ★★★ | June 2025

DWEEB-A-MANIA

DWEEB-A-MANIA

DWEEB-A-MANIA

THE BOY WITH WINGS

★★★

Polka Theatre

THE BOY WITH WINGS

Polka Theatre

★★★

“promises to enchant a new generation with the art of live theatre”