Michael Parker Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★

“plays on our fears at several levels”

This is a startling (nay, shocking) short play and it is startlingly good. What writer/actor Benny Ainsworth and director Michael Parker manage to achieve in a mere 55 minutes is extraordinary.

There is no getting away from it, however, so best to get it out front. This play is firmly in the horror genre. So if graphic descriptions of killing disturb you, you should probably stay away.

It is difficult to describe without giving a lot away – the theatre blurb is well crafted and as much as you need to start with. This play is partly metaphor. Vermin scratch in the floorboards and walls of the home that Billy (Ainsworth) and Rachel (Sally Paffett) have lovingly built; but psychological vermin are at play in their relationship. And then the metaphor turns horrifyingly real.

Billy and Rachel tell their story in a rapid two-hander, bouncing off and interrupting each other, cosying up, then letting rip. Soliloquies are interleaved. They play out early love scenes and flashbacks of darkness, then take the road to trust crumbling and a shocking end.

Paffett won a well-deserved award for her performance when the play was presented at the Arcola in 2024. She is a class act: bubbly and naive one moment; heartbreaking the next; and calculating and sinister in undertones, as she sets the house and the relationship on the road to ruin. Ainsworth is equally good as a loving man, proud of his practical skills, who reveals a frightening obsession with killing that, despite his best efforts, he can’t shake off.

As Director and Technical Director, Parker has a confident hand, keeping the surrounding environment spartan in order to better highlight the performances. The set consists of two chairs on a dark empty stage. Very subtle changes of lighting (Alex Lewer) punctuate the scene and highlight turning moments and traps.

I’m no expert on the horror genre, but I believe the point – in films, TV and on stage – is to bring nightmares into consciousness and in so doing allow larger fears to be shared and released. Vermin plays on our fears at several levels – it could also spark a wider conversation about society and what happens when we fail to deal with trauma. Whether I will sleep tonight is another matter.

Inspirit

Vaulty Towers

Reviewed – 7th February 2019

★★★★

“Bradley Walker’s words are brought to life in a fresh, endearing and laugh out loud production”

Inspirit is billed as ‘A quirky three-hander dark comedy that explores the difficulty of moving on from deceased loved ones… from the point of view of the departed soul.’ It is a play, pie, pint show, produced by Temporarily Misplaced Productions, written by Bradley Walker and directed by Emily Hutt.

Before the show, piping hot pies were brought out for audience members, and the delicious smell filled Vaulty Towers, the fabulously eccentric pub that is run by The Vaults team. The crazy decor and snug corners make for a great place to wait for a play to start, and most of the waiting audience were snapping photos. I recommend going there for a drink, even if you’re not seeing a show. When the pies were gone it was time for the play, an extract of a longer work, and we went down into a tiny space.

The set was a sofa and a table with four bottles of beer, and it was all that was needed as a background to this very funny piece. Jude, played by Charlie Woodford, is bringing home a guy for sex. Jude is the straight man of the piece, and Woodford did a nice job of making his likeable. His date is the incredibly uncomfortable and paralysingly nervous Michael portrayed by Joel Watson-Smith in an outstanding and hilarious performance. His timing is spot on, and he had the audience with him from the very start. Jude tries to relax Michael, explaining that it’s his first one night stand too, and that he hasn’t had sex for four years. But Michael is a gawky mess, and relaxation seems unlikely. Even more so when Jude goes off stage to freshen up, and the ghost of his ex-boyfriend appears from behind the sofa. Played by Michael Parker, dusted with white powder, William is trying to learn how to haunt, and really not doing well. One of the funniest scenes takes place when Jude returns and both he and the ghost talk to Michael. Jude can’t see the apparition, and Michael tries to balance the two conversations without appearing to be unhinged.

The extract ends at an intriguing point, and I wanted it to continue. It’s definitely one I will try to catch when it has a full performance. Emily Hutt has directed with a great eye to comedy and pace. Nothing is forced, and Bradley Walker’s words are brought to life in a fresh, endearing and laugh out loud production. Well written, well directed and well acted, this is one to go and see!

VERMIN

Park Theatre

★★★★

“plays on our fears at several levels”

VERMIN

Park Theatre

Reviewed on 12th September 2025

by Louise Sibley

Photography by Michael Parker

Previously reviewed at this venue:

VERMIN

VERMIN

VERMIN

Vaulty Towers

Reviewed – 7th February 2019

★★★★

“Bradley Walker’s words are brought to life in a fresh, endearing and laugh out loud production”

Reviewed by Katre

Inspirit

Vaulty Towers

Play Pie Pint runs lunchtimes Monday to Thursday until 27th April with different shows

Last ten shows covered by this reviewer:

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