THE WRONG THEY KNEW

Chickenshed Theatre

★★★½

“Most impressive of all were the amazing, big ensemble pieces.”

From the moment the show opens, the soaring ambition of Chickenshed Theatre’s latest production strikes you on the face like a beam of sunshine after a dull grey morning. The large size of the performance space (deployed to its greatest extent); the towering set of wooden beams and the rolling scenery which seamlessly transforms a courtroom set into a narrow street of dingy houses; a vibrant musical book: all this, when added to the sheer energy of a 200 person company delivers a theatrical experience like no other.

Chickenshed is performing arts educational institution whose devotion to inclusiveness and issue-based theatre has been breaking boundaries for over fifty years. Since its beginning, in a disused chicken shed, to its current set-up in a purpose-built theatre complex in Southgate, north London, the charity has been inspiring thousands of youngsters of every culture, colour and ability. This unwavering belief that everyone has a role and a contribution to offer in the great tapestry of life was showcased throughout this dramatic presentation. Diversity in its many forms and all its glory.

The Wrong They Knew is the annual, full production designed to engage every adult and child in the organisation. For this, directors/choreographers Bethany Hamlin and Michael Bossisse and writers Paul Morrall and Sebastian Ross have created a story which they have set in the late 1950s in the streets of Forest Hill at the height of the growth of racial tensions after Windrush, when the community is sharply divided but some are beginning to seek a way to meet each other on equal ground.

Into this story of racial prejudice and injustice, the writers have sown multiple threads, including shocking abuse of power, a trial and death (disturbingly drawn from To Kill A Mockingbird), riots, the early days of legal aid, classroom intolerance, the voice of questioning children, carnival and, ultimately, restitution.

It’s a heady mix of themes and a narrative drawn from a range of classic literary works challenging inequality, everything from Cry, the Beloved Country to Small Island. These are blended in a full musical score that showcases the talents of the musical directors Phil Haines and Cara McInanny, whose extraordinarily beautiful voice gives us such gems as ‘That’s not me’ and ‘Turn the Other Cheek’.

That does mean, as a member of the audience, it was a little too easy to get lost in the business on stage and the enormous mix of onstage talent. Gradually the characters emerged, however: most notably the children crossing the division in the community: Karl Leyens and Kailee Fisher as Roma and Diello; and Felix Figgis, Ajani Onaolapo and Kayla James as teenagers Jackson, Theo and Zeeco. Skilfully portraying Theo’s father, was Shiloh Maersk. He is the victim of accusations of abusing a white girl: Tilly Morton is heartbreaking as Madeline, the girl who in reality has been beaten by her brutal father (Jimmy Adamous). And there was some serious artistic skill in the rest of the cast – all revealed in song and dance. Not to be overlooked should be the impressive work of the creative and backstage team who interweaved a highly mobile and visual set, lighting and digital media effects

Most impressive of all were the amazing, big ensemble pieces. These could so easily have sunk into chaos, but were in fact extraordinary well co-ordinated and articulated. At one point, everyone – all 200 people – was in the theatre arena: on stage, on the bridge at the back, and lined along the circle sides. It made for a genuine immersive experience, even if not billed as such, which drew one right into the heart of the action.

THE WRONG THEY KNEW

Chickenshed Theatre

Reviewed on 6th March 2026

by Louise Sibley

Photography by Leda Omran

THE WRONG THEY KNEW

★★★★

“a compelling evening”

Is Peer Gynt a play or a poem? When Henrik Ibsen first published his five-act verse drama, Peer Gynt attracted widespread criticism from contemporary figures for its complete disregard of conventional stagecraft and its blend of fantasy and realism. Defending his work, particularly from the hostility of theatre critic Clemens Petersen, Ibsen declared that it ‘is poetry; and if it isn’t, it will become such’.

In the hands of Kåre Conradi, there can be no doubt. He breaks a few conventions himself in his rendition of Peer Gynt’s story, delivering it partly as narrative, partly as lecture, partly in English and partly in his native Norwegian. But what starts as a gentle folk tale of everyday life and the journey of a worthless nobody – albeit with a gift for seducing women – turns into a tense saga that at its heart addresses the eternal question of being and self.

Conradi is something of a polymath in the dramatic world. He is a celebrated stage, screen and television actor, and the founder and artistic director of the Norwegian Ibsen Company. A graduate of the Norwegian Theatre Academy and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), he is familiar with Shakespeare as much as Ibsen. He appeared in the TV series Shetland, and stars in the historical comedy Norsemen, on Netflix. For this evening, he took on the roles of producer, writer/adapter and performer.

Peer Gynt the person is hard to like. He is feckless and reckless. He is an egotist with charm and ambition, but doesn’t want to work hard. He uses women in a way that might have them joining them “MeToo” movement these days. He abandons his poor mother and runs away to, notably, Arabia, when life gets a bit too hot for him in Norway. When he returns as an old man, he finally comes face to face with himself in a fantasy during which he is being brought to account for his life. But through all this, he has retained the adoration of the long suffering Solveig. It is she in the end who answers the questions of self and rescues him from eternal perdition.

But he is also an ‘Everyman’ in whom we might see reflections of ourselves. Conradi first encountered Peer Gynt aged 17 and over the years has developed a deep connection to the character. He brings him to us in a monologue on a simple spotlit stage lasting just over an hour. During this time he switches effortlessly from storyteller to actor; sometimes, in the latter persona passionately proclaiming his justification for just ‘being himself’; sometimes skilfully lacing together the characters of the story. Then, as narrator, he will make a humorous aside aimed at a 21st century audience. He avoids declamation (at one moment he catches himself overacting) and he drops suddenly into a linguistic to and fro – often, it was hard to tell whether he was talking in English or Norwegian.

What began as – potentially – a challenging hour, soon became a compelling evening, thanks to Conradi’s gifts. This was a bravura performance, with poetry at its core.

Tag Archives: Louise Sibley

THE WRONG THEY KNEW

★★★½

Chickenshed Theatre

THE WRONG THEY KNEW

Chickenshed Theatre

★★★½

“Most impressive of all were the amazing, big ensemble pieces.”