OSCAR AT THE CROWN
The Crown
★★★★★
“unapologetically camp, laced with sassy self-awareness perfectly in sync with a subversive core”
Lock Oscar Wilde, Mad Max, Six, and Starlight Express in a bathroom together, and what comes out? ‘Oscar at The Crown’ of course! A glitter bomb of beats, belting and reckless abandon, this spectacular show turned club night is a sparkling celebration of self-acceptance and queer culture.
Beneath the ruins of a broken world lives a band of survivors, banished before fascism ended it all. But Oscar and his technicolour troupe are thriving in exile, finally free to be themselves. What better way to sustain a new civilisation than bingeing the only media to survive with it – early 2000s TV and the complete works of Oscar Wilde. In fact, the troupe’s nightly performance of an Oscar Wilde musical is about to start – when a sudden bang on the bunker door shatters their peace and potentially some hearts. What starts as a riotous rave ends with raw reflection – a messy end to their beautiful beginning.
Mark Mauriello’s book delivers stinging social critique, flamboyant figures and inner angst, even if it doesn’t quite match Wilde’s poeticism or satirical subtlety. Though the plot is thin, there is power in revealing a more honest and broken man than Oscar ever dared to be. With some choice quotes underscoring key moments, I find the overall effect moving, emphasising how fragile our sense of self can be. Then there’s the ‘messy ending’ – abrupt, perhaps, but brutally honest. It exposes the bunker’s safety for the sham it is and challenges us all to embrace life’s chaos.
Shira Milikowsky’s direction is full of infectious energy, the cast commanding the stage with gusto and charisma. It’s unapologetically camp, laced with sassy self-awareness perfectly in sync with a subversive core. There are clever devices, such as Oscar and love-interest Bosie flirting via predictive text, disembodied voices carrying their passionate exchange across the crowded dancefloor. The cast also fire off snappy quips under their breath, heightening the immersion and keeping the energy continuously crackling.
Andrew Barret Cox’s music and lyrics are an absolute highlight. Club banger follows club banger, and even when we hit a ballad or two, they suit the moment perfectly. My personal favourite is the cheeky ode to Julie Cooper (toxic step-mom from ‘The OC’, obviously), as infectious as whatever ended the world must have been. Though Dan Samson’s sound design, which follows the actors around the space, means I can’t always decipher the words – not that this detracts from the insane belting delivering them.
Barret Cox’s choreography is a flurry of precisely executed kicking, popping and voguing – an absolute feast for the eyes. Andrew Exeter’s set, venue and lighting design creates an underground club with a strong dystopian edge, 1984-esque CCTV tracking your every move (and helpfully those of the actors), back-alley graffiti everywhere, and plastic strip curtains evoking an abattoir. The lighting is insane, flicking from unobtrusive to dramatic (the side spot illuminating half of Constance’s face, emphasising her dislocation), to jokey (the flashbulb pops punctuating Oscar’s snappy poses), to exuberant (the rippling rainbows Oscar summons on a whim). It’s perfectly complemented by the costumes, hair and make-up, drawing on timely styles like punk, S&M, and even Starlight Express.
The true highlight, however, is the cast – *clap* STUN *clap* NING. Jan Sport’s Oscar is brash, bold and yet oh-so broken. Jan channels Oscar’s tangled brilliance with such conviction, there’s not a flicker of doubt in her portrayal. The perfect example is during the heartfelt climax, where I catch a solitary Jan weeping in such anguish I have to look away. The ensemble is such high quality, it’s a disservice to single individuals out. Suffice to say, everyone absolutely slays.
‘Oscar at The Crown’ might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I guarantee it develops a cult following, just like Julie Cooper. Heartrendingly raw and breathtakingly executed, sashay your way to The Crown and catch it while you can!
OSCAR AT THE CROWN
The Crown
Reviewed on 19th September 2025
by Hannah Bothelton
Photography by Danny Kaan
Previously reviewed by Hannah:
THE SHOP FOR MORTALS AND ALL FOOLS | ★★★★ | COLAB TOWER | September 2025
BROWN GIRL NOISE | ★★★½ | RIVERSIDE STUDIOS | September 2025
THE TRUTH ABOUT BLAYDS | ★★★ | FINBOROUGH THEATRE | September 2025
COW | DEER | ★★★★★ | ROYAL COURT | September 2025
SEAGULL: TRUE STORY | ★★★★★ | MARYLEBONE THEATRE | September 2025
SWAG AGE | ★★★★ | GILLIAN LYNNE THEATRE | September 2025
HERE AND NOW | ★★★★ | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | September 2025
EMERALD STORM | ★★★★ | EMERALD THEATRE | September 2025
THE PITCHFORK DISNEY | ★★★★★ | KING’S HEAD THEATRE | September 2025
INTERVIEW | ★★★ | RIVERSIDE STUDIOS | August 2025
