★★★

“If you enjoy theatre with a sting in the tail, this revival of ‘The Truth About Blayds’ delivers”

Every family has secrets. But what if yours is so explosive it could derail a national institution? ‘The Truth About Blayds’ explores the collision of power and principles, exposing the dangers of idolising money and fame. Despite its sharp execution and timely themes, it may feel a little tone-deaf to contemporary tastes.

One of A. A. Milne’s early plays (yes, that A. A. Milne), ‘The Truth About Blayds’ is set in the 1920s and opens on the 90th birthday of literary titan, Oliver Blayds. Blayds is lauded alongside Wordsworth and Tennyson, and devoted literary critic, A. L. Royce, is invited to give a special address in his honour. However, Royce’s reverence is met with cynicism from Blayds’ grandchildren Oliver and Septima, resentful devotion from Blayds’ youngest daughter Isobel, and self-interested pragmatism from Blayds’ eldest daughter Marion and her husband William. When a shattering revelation threatens to rip everything away, will the family do the right thing? Or will the burden of legacy sway their moral compasses?

Produced by Andrew Maunder and Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre, this production embodies the theatre’s mission to revive plays untouched for over 25 years. Written by A. A. Milne (of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ fame), the text captures a web of tension between characters with wit and mischief: Oliver’s cynicism cuts through Royce’s blind adoration; Isobel’s saint-like self-sacrifice clashes with William and Marion’s scheming; William patronises Marion despite adopting her surname. Furthermore, Milne cleverly reveals that Blayds’ isn’t the only façade: every character is hiding something. You could argue it’s the perfect play to revive in a post-truth world. However, revivals risk failing to resonate with modern audiences, and this is no exception. Recent power-abuse scandals have rocked the nation, and the story of a rich white man’s unchecked privilege sits rather uncomfortably in their wake.

David Gilmore’s direction speaks volumes through silence, with reactions slicing as sharply as the witty prose. There are some bold directional choices. Septima’s final plea to the family is delivered with her back to the audience, introducing ambiguity to her intentions. Isobel breaks the fourth wall with her final line, forcing the audience to confront the family’s decision.

The performances are sharp and controlled, though perhaps a little too buttoned-up at points. George Rowlands’ razor-sharp timing means Oliver’s acid wit steals every scene. William Gaunt’s Blayds infuses a lifetime of experience into his surprisingly fleeting performance, steeped in reminiscence before revealing his quiet dread. Catherine Cusack shows appropriate restraint but I couldn’t help wanting to see Isobel unravel.

Alex Marker’s stage design captures Victorian maximalism, appearing both opulent and sterile. The deceptively simple lighting (Jonathan Simpson) sets the scene with the backlit sash windows of a London townhouse, and a soft spot subtly illuminating Blayds’ omnipotent portrait. The costumes (Carla Joy Evans) span Victorian, Edwardian and flapper eras, emphasising inter-generational divides. Scene changes set to Strauss’ waltzes contrast flowing beauty with scheming pettiness, reinforcing façade over fact.

If you enjoy theatre with a sting in the tail, this revival of ‘The Truth About Blayds’ delivers. It may not have aged that gracefully and the delivery can feel a touch polite, but there’s no shortage of wit, warmth, and scandal to keep the evening entertaining.

JULIUS CAESAR at Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★

“Overall, this is an exciting if imperfect production”

Icarus Theatre’s new production of this Shakesperean historical tragedy brings the story of conspiracy and the murder of Rome’s would-be first emperor into a dystopian near future, where technology has advanced further that we can imagine and is omnipresent in the fabric of the city and our lives.

The play opens with Marullus (Angus Dunican) presenting a diatribe against Caesar (Will Travis) projected onto one of the three movable and openable cylinders that form the stage. His delivery is reminiscent of a YouTube live stream with comments from viewers appearing below his head and is clearly an allusion towards the media climate of the present day, in which social media moulds politics. In this way, the production immediately foregrounds its innovative use of technology, including multiple levels of projection, messages being delivered directly to characters, as via instant messaging apps, as well as surtitles styled like chat boxes that rearrange themselves to follow the actors’ position on stage. Political language in the style of online discourse (#notmyemperor) is projected onto the background, demonstrative of the opinions of the population of Rome to the events happening at the highest levels of society. The surtitles are an excellent addition and improve the accessibility of a work that adheres closely to Shakespeare’s beautiful, if knotty, verse. Their inclusion also creates a production that is equally open to deaf and hearing audiences, a key aim of Icarus Theatre, which is to be commended.

Other choices around the use of technology are less effective, however. The decision to have Caesar appear only as a Big Brother-style projection, including in the moment of his death, serves to highlight the way he has elevated himself above the Roman people, but makes less sense when he is visited in his home – if he were so clearly aloof with everyone, would the rabble-rousing speech made by Mark Antony (James Heatlie) in the wake of his death have had the same impact? Nevertheless, the creative team including director Max Lewendel, projection designer Will Monks, and creative captioning consultant Samantha Baines deserve a lot of credit for this strikingly new production.

The costumes have a retro-sci-fi feel, with long hair, dark eye makeup, and baggy, almost punky clothes, which some will love. The casting also breaks with tradition: many of Shakespeare’s male characters are played by women including Brutus (Rowan Winter), Trebonius (Eleanor Crosswell), and Caius Ligarius (Yvonne Grundy), and there are frequent scenes of queer intimacy, challenging traditional notions of heteronormativity.

The main cast of eleven, with many multi-rolling, is good and standouts performers include Michael Skellern as a sensitive and jealous Cassius, James Heatlie as the loyal and persuasive Mark Antony, and Gabrielle Sheppard as Casca and Portia, Brutus’s wife – a role to which she brings great emotional resonance while the couple discuss Brutus’s withdrawal from their relationship.

Overall, this is an exciting if imperfect production. The use of technology, especially the surtitles to improve accessibility, as well as the challenges to traditional ideas of gender and sexuality is to be lauded. However, at times the production techniques prove to be somewhat distracting. It could be also argued that the text of the play itself already contains the necessary material to assess today’s political climate – from gifted orators riling up the crowds to the machinations of an elite far removed the general population – without the gestures towards an enhanced social media-like commentar

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS

Finborough Theatre

★★★

“If you enjoy theatre with a sting in the tail, this revival of ‘The Truth About Blayds’ delivers”

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed on 13th September 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Carla Joy Evans

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS

JULIUS CAESAR at Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★

“Overall, this is an exciting if imperfect production”

JULIUS CAESAR at Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 13th September 2024

by Rob Tomlinson

Photography by Adrian Warner

Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues

JULIUS CAESAR

JULIUS CAESAR

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