★★★★★

“crackles with emotional tension and twisted humour”

With a twisted title and premise, ‘The Pitchfork Disney’ grips you like a fever dream: disturbing, disorientating and wickedly thrilling. It’s a chocolate-coated nightmare that daring theatregoers will devour – if they can stomach it!

Adapted by Lidless Theatre from Philip Ridley’s 1991 play, ‘The Pitchfork Disney’ explores a tangled world of dependency, domination and stunted development. Set in an unassuming East End living room, we open with Haley and her twin brother Presley bickering over chocolate. This childlike reality soon strains as playfulness yields to violent imagery, apocalypse and self-medication. Their stories don’t add up. Why are there multiple locks on the door? Where are their parents? How old are they? Then Presley lets in an unexpected outsider, Cosmo, shattering their pretence and culminating in a shocking climax.

Produced by Zoe Weldon, Ridley’s 1991 script still packs a punch. The machine gun-like prose hammers the audience with a tongue-twisting intensity, highlighting a Daliesque surrealism. But it’s not oppressive: fractured by sharp wit and brooding poeticism, the audience is deftly allowed up for air in humorous and beautiful moments too.

Max Harrison’s direction is fantastic. You can immediately tell the cast has been expertly drilled as the streams of words roll off the tongue in a heady, breathless flood. The pacing is exquisite: one moment fervid, the next reflective, the expertly controlled flow creates tension between characters and in the unsaid. Harrison keeps up the shock factor, featuring realistic vomit and S&M attire. Though it’s perhaps a sad sign of the times that I didn’t find the climactic scene as shocking – whilst a clear and horrific violation, the media frequently exposes modern audiences to similar (and worse).

The unobtrusive lighting (Ben Jacobs), sound (Sam Glossop), and set/costume design (Kit Hinchliffe) rein in the sensory storm, keeping it grounded and making the turmoil even more impactful.

The combination of stripped back design and manic text really puts the pressure on the cast. And boy do they deliver! Ned Costello as Presley and Elizabeth Connick as Haley tear through Ridley’s script with razor-sharp precision, racing through lines without losing a single syllable. Their opposing styles sharpen their contrasting characters: Costello’s deadpan detachment masks a simmering strain, while Connick storms the stage in an anxious whirlwind. William Robinson’s Cosmo injects a refreshing normality with a devilish, untrustworthy edge. Matt Yulish’s Pitchfork adds rawness: the unsettling physicality and guttural, pained ‘song’ are particular highlights.

‘The Pitchfork Disney’ crackles with emotional tension and twisted humour. It’s by no means an easy ride, but it sure is stimulating and stunningly delivered. Anyone who fancies sinking their teeth into something more exotic will relish it – just read the content warnings first!

SAVING MOZART

The Other Palace

★★★★

“Jack Chambers’ Mozart movingly shows every single hope, fear and regret”

Saving Mozart by Charli Eglinton bursts onto the stage, bringing Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart and his complex family dynamics to life and bang up to date. Though like Mozart’s actual career, it gets a little lost at points.

A modern musical about the man behind the mastery, Saving Mozart explores the complex relationships that challenge and drive him. The close bond with his equally prodigious sister Nannerl is shaken; his taskmaster father prioritises success and society over his children; his protective mother (spoiler alert) dies too soon; his rival Salieri both guides and gets in the way, and his ambitious wife Constanze pushes him on when all seems lost.

Eglinton’s writing injects humanity into the story, showing us the struggles and successes inside Mozart’s troubled mind. Satisfyingly, the women in his life are credited as the real reasons for his success. That said, the plot suffers from trying to do too much, charting his itinerant career and several complex relationships and exploring themes that sometimes go nowhere. Between that and a score bursting with songs, the core of the piece gets a little lost. This isn’t helped by some character inconsistencies. The father, Leopold, lacks a coherent character arc, instead flipping between unforgiving stage dad and regretful father figure. Salieri seems to go out of his way to hamper Mozart’s career before abruptly making amends. Even Nannerl, who dotes on Mozart in Act 1, sides entirely with her father in Act 2 despite him scuppering her life’s happiness. Even if this is what happened in real life it could be more nuanced, perhaps through more dialogue.

Eglinton’s score is fantastic, cleverly weaving in fragments of Mozart’s music and completely reinventing them within a very modern sound drawing on pop, rock, blues and even Michael Bublé. There are some very catchy songs, such as the virtuosic opening number ‘Remember Me’; devastating songs, such as the mother’s soulful ‘He’s Only a Child’; and high energy ensemble songs, such as ‘Stand Up Stand Down’. Though again, the score feels a little full and perhaps could be refined to create some breathing space.

Co-directed by Taylor Walker and Markus Olzinger, the piece is emotionally charged from the off. Mozart narrates his life as the only character breaking the fourth wall, drawing you into his troubled mind from the beginning. He also shadows his younger self, deepening the poignancy of these formative moments.

The cast is stunning. Jack Chambers’ Mozart movingly shows every single hope, fear and regret while delivering soaring yet raw vocals. Aimie Atkinson’s Nannerl exudes brilliance, wit, affection and frustration with equally nuanced vocals. Jordan Luke Gage’s smouldering Salieri absolutely sizzles with knowing cynicism and a voice to die for. Gloria Onitiri’s Anna Maria Mozart is devastatingly soulful. Izzie Monk absolutely holds her own as Little Mozart, with the stage presence and singing capability of a much older actor. The ensemble brings the energy and nails Walker’s choreography, executing a range of styles with precision and prowess, though would benefit from a bit more space. The musicians and musical direction by Robert Wicks are also fantastic, bringing the score to life with biting precision and virtuosic skill.

Justin Williams’ set design is modern and monochrome, with a big white ‘M’ dominating more familiar elements of the otherwise minimalist set (much like Mozart himself). Julia Pschedezki and Lucy K. Crew’s costumes bring haute couture to the stage, elevating 18th century ruffs and frills with enviable silhouettes and styles. This contrasts with 18th century style wigs and hair (Renate Harter) which are beautiful and complex. Sound design (Tom Marshall) is spot on, blending seamlessly with the score. Lighting design (Ben Jacobs) is at points as iconic as the action on stage.

Based on writing alone, I’m not sure if Saving Mozart achieves its aim; but the cast, score, choreography, design and direction more than make up for it in this sizzling, foot tapping, bass thumping musical that will make audiences fall in love with Mozart all over again.

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

King’s Head Theatre

★★★★★

“crackles with emotional tension and twisted humour”

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 2nd September 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Charles Flint

Recently reviewed at this venue:

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

THE PITCHFORK DISNEY

SAVING MOZART

The Other Palace

★★★★

“Jack Chambers’ Mozart movingly shows every single hope, fear and regret”

SAVING MOZART

The Other Palace

Reviewed on 5th August 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Danny Kaan

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Saving Mozart

Saving Mozart

Saving Mozart

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