COMFORT

Barons Court Theatre

★★★★

“An important story told with tenderness and care”

‘Comfort women’ – state sanctioned sex slaves captured by the Japanese Imperial Army during WWII – remains a dark chapter in history. In the Philippines, shame and stigma silenced many survivors for decades, with ongoing social and political erasure to this day. Most died without justice, but the handful who remain fight with unwavering resolve. ‘Comfort’ is a searing testament to their suffering and a powerful tribute to their resolve, honouring the enduring hope, strength, and resilience of Pinay spirit.

Welcome – Lola Hilum is eagerly awaiting you. This winningly sharp Filipina grandmother (“I’m still cute, no?”) reflects on life and loss through flashbacks and song, recalling pre war family warmth, her time with the resistance, and, ultimately, sexual slavery. Yet she emerges with grace, hope and resilience – a story as uplifting as it is devastating.

As someone with Filipino heritage, I’m struck by Giannine Tan’s true to life writing and effortless ad libbing. She nails the quirks of ‘Tanglish,’ weaving in phrases my relatives use, with a good balance of languages – though occasional longer runs of Bisaya/Tagalog risk losing English speakers. The structure delivers maximal emotional impact, drawing us in with casual intimacy and slowly building the tension, before landing an emotional gut punch handled with such sensitivity I’m genuinely blown away. Yet the halves feel a little uneven: the first is a little wordy at times, reading more like a history lesson than a family visit; a chicken/family metaphor, though capturing a whimsy that sharpens later emotional blows, could be slimmed down for pace. The second half, however, lands with real force. Songs gain new meaning, silence speaks volumes, and everyday chores haunted by past demons evoke years of unspoken pain. Overall, it’s a strong script needing only minor refinement.

Elisabeth Tu’s direction lands the emotional blows. Heartfelt performances and overall slick pacing form a strong core, with emotionally unguarded singing overcoming the folk songs’ language barrier. The chicken puppets’ innocence contrasts powerfully with the faceless khaki shirts, their interchangeability underscoring the relentless abuse. Yet Lola Hilum’s characterisation could use sharper contrast with her younger self, and while her age adds poignancy, her pacing occasionally drags.

No Filipino production feels complete without music, and ‘Comfort’ weaves in plenty of folk songs. Yet it never feels forced, the raw vocals and simple acoustic guitar accompaniment evoking the era and delivering natural and moving performances.

The design is understated yet precise. Izzy Cresswell’s props and set unobtrusively enrich the story, each choice layered with meaning – from chickens as family, to washing line backdrops, to shirts as wash cloths, every choice feels considered and deliberate. Tu’s lighting is impressively complex for an underground space, with subtle washes and spots adding context and drama. Yeo Dana’s technical delivery is tight. Costumes are simple yet effective, defining characters and inventively creating faceless figures through the manipulation of khaki shirts.

Giannine Tan’s Lola Hilum is invitingly endearing, her easy audience rapport radiating warmth and charm. When a Japanese Imperial Army officer takes an interest in her, Tan deftly conveys the loathing, fear, anger and reluctant sympathy churning inside her, feeling strikingly real. Yet we would benefit from sharper contrasts between her younger and older selves, as the two seem a little too alike at times. As ensemble and guitarists, Janna May and Mary Suarez bring innocent charm. Their confident musicianship and seamless harmonising enrich the soundscape, while their manipulation of the shirts in the climactic scene is so deft it makes the men feel tangible.

As my first show review to make me openly weep, I strongly recommend seeing ‘Comfort’ even with its imperfections. An important story told with tenderness and care, you’ll laugh, cry, learn and leave with a newfound appreciation of Filipino culture and the extraordinary strength of its ‘comfort women’.

COMFORT

Barons Court Theatre

Reviewed on 8th November 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Recenetly reviewed by Hannah

WOMEN OVER 30 DON’T MATTER | ★★★★ | THE SPACE | November 2025

KILL YOUR FATHER | ★★★ | ETCETERA THEATRE | November 2025

GWENDA’S GARAGE | ★★★ | SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH | November 2025

JULIUS CAESAR | ★★★★ | OMNIBUS THEATRE | October 2025

LITTLE M | ★★★½ | THE PLACE | October 2025

DECIPHERS | ★★★★ | THE CORONET THEATRE | October 2025

MIMI’S SHEBEEN | ★★★★ | SADLER’S WELLS EAST | October 2025

REPERTÓRIO N.1 | ★★★★★ | PORCHESTER HALL | October 2025

COMFORT

★★★★

“both bring crisp comic timing and refreshingly layered performances”

Being a woman is hard – so many hidden rules and expectations to navigate. What if you could make all the stress and overthinking disappear? ‘Women Over 30 Don’t Matter’ cracks the patriarchy with AI-powered technology, exposing misogyny in all its guises in this snappy, incisive and wickedly funny new play.

Tasha and Priya couldn’t be more different: Tasha, a clean-eating princess from the States, expects perfection; Priya, a practical South Asian daughter, just wants to be taken seriously. They’re thrown together on a career defining project in London – building an AI driven app called ‘You Go Girl’ – that could finally make the ‘woman with it all’ a reality. However, budding friendship sours when their manipulative male boss’ promises of promotion pits them against each other. Luckily, they soon realise neither the app nor their boss has their backs. Can they break free of the patriarchy? Come see it and find out!

Written and performed by Aishwarya Gaikwad and Carly Hendrick, ‘Women Over 30 Don’t Matter’ is tightly crafted, richly textured and bitingly satirical. Workplace clichés, such as warring women, female tokenism and ‘having it all’, crumble under razor-sharp scrutiny to expose the institutional sexism beneath. Patriarchy, workplace harassment and power abuses are cleverly criticised without feeling didactic – the fact both women are foreigners and yet intimately familiar with male-dominated dynamics speaks volumes. Both women start out as stereotypes but gradually reveal their humanity, balancing satire with introspection. It’s all tightly wrapped in punchy and downright hilarious offstage exchanges. The club scene is a minor weak spot, drifting slightly and lacking a little comedic sparkle, but as a debut play Gaikwad and Hendrick are clearly ones to watch.

Emilia Woodgate’s direction comes out swinging. Voiceover characters have a playful, caricature-esque quality. Super-fast scene changes are packaged in hilariously pointed pre-recorded jokes. The theatre’s vast arch is no wasted space, hosting side splitting slides (try saying that three times fast) that highlight our protagonists’ contrasts and deliver laughs in their own right. Clearer cues would clarify whether the dining table is office or home, and the echoey space demands sharper diction and/or more deliberate pacing in places. However, for what appears to be a directorial debut, Woodgate sets a high standard.

Designer and technician Eliza Jayne wows with an impressive tech script. The lighting design is sharply executed with great comic effect – from a spotlight snapping on unexpectedly in the boardroom, to the coy male-gaze pitch to investors. The sound design is witty and inventive, blending realistic effects with cutting satirical asides. Together these elements build a rich experience, offering enough context to offset the minimalist set. Costumes neatly contrast Tasha’s outward polish with Priya’s practical style, though fittingly both women appear more relaxed in themselves by the end.

Gaikwad and Hendricks give strong performances as Priya and Tasha respectively, complementing each other with heartfelt sincerity on one side and no nonsense straight talk on the other. Hendricks convinces most with sharp characterisation and confident projection, while Gaikwad occasionally falters over lines and could project more in the echoey space. Still, both bring crisp comic timing and refreshingly layered performances. The voiceover actors add hilarity, with Cyril Blake relishing the manipulative Mr. Miller and Sophie Welbourne nailing the sweetly satirical punch of You Go Girl, both showcasing impeccable timing.

‘Women Over 30 Don’t Matter’ is an impressive debut blending cutting wit and punchy design with a surprisingly layered take on womanhood. Make sure you catch this short run while you can!

Tag Archives: Voila! Theatre Festival 2025

COMFORT

★★★★

Barons Court Theatre

COMFORT

Barons Court Theatre

★★★★

“An important story told with tenderness and care”