Older ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/12

Old friends face up to their future. Two boys climb out of the sea. And three thousand years ago, Telemachus is waiting.

Across three short plays—telemachy; men of feeling; tights, no pants—OLDER explores love, sacrifice, and the impossible knot of growing up, asking; how do we live with the myths of our childhoods? And how do we reckon with what’s left?

There is something undeniably ambitious about OLDER. Blending mythology, memory, grief and friendship across three interconnected short plays, it attempts to weave together themes of growing up, identity and loss into one reflective evening of theatre. While the connections between the pieces do not always fully land, there is still plenty to admire within the production, particularly in its performances and emotional sincerity.

Sam Smith’s direction is nice, clear and concise throughout, allowing the more naturalistic moments to breathe without overcomplicating the material. In a production so heavily reliant on emotional truth and conversation, this grounded approach works well. The performances feel natural, and the quieter moments are handled with care, giving the audience space to sit with the emotion rather than rushing through it.

The sound design is simple but effective, remaining consistently clear throughout the production and never distracting from the storytelling. Sometimes the best compliment sound can receive is that you barely notice it, and that is very much the case here.

Lighting by Maddy Whitby keeps things relatively understated, with washes throughout the piece. Visually, they look appealing and suit the production's intimate atmosphere. However, there is occasionally something that feels slightly off balance within the lighting states, though it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what. It never becomes so distracting as to pull focus entirely, but there are moments when the visual tone does not quite feel fully settled.

Georgie Lynch’s set design creates an effective in-the-round environment, featuring a record player, Judy Garland vinyl, a speaker, a chair, and a blanket, which help establish a cosy, reflective atmosphere for the opening scenes. Later, two garden chairs are introduced for the final section, maintaining the production’s minimalistic approach.

However, the scene transitions are among the production’s weaker elements. The first major transition feels particularly long, and towards the end, the audience begins to disengage slightly. One detail that becomes oddly distracting is the removal of the vinyl and record player whilst leaving the speaker behind, even though it is no longer in use. It is a small thing, but in a production where the space is otherwise carefully adjusted between scenes, it becomes strangely noticeable. If you are going to commit to redecorating the stage mid-show, you may as well go all the way and evict the lonely speaker, too.

The costumes remain largely naturalistic throughout, consisting mostly of everyday clothing that helps ground the characters within recognisable realism. The simplicity works well for the material and avoids pulling focus away from the storytelling.

Sam Smith’s book is where the production becomes slightly more uneven. Whilst the three short plays are thematically linked, the reasoning behind combining them into one larger piece never fully clicks into place. Individually, each story contains compelling ideas and emotionally resonant moments, but together they occasionally feel disconnected rather than cohesive.

The first play is perhaps the most emotionally powerful, following a young boy as he waits for his father to return home, presumably from war. There is something deeply tender and melancholic in this setup, though the identity and purpose of the character accompanying him remain slightly unclear, which creates some confusion.

The second piece feels more focused structurally, with clearer storytelling and stronger narrative momentum. It is the section where the audience can most easily settle into the world and fully follow the emotional journey unfolding.

The third play returns to a more ambiguous style. We understand that the central character’s mother has died and that they are likely living alone when visited by a friend who arrives carrying significant news. However, the main character’s combative response towards the friend feels underexplained, making parts of the interaction harder to invest in emotionally. There are moments of humour throughout the piece that land effectively, alongside some genuinely hard-hitting emotional beats. However, there are also opportunities where the comedy could perhaps have been pushed further.

Ultimately, it feels as though these stories might have worked better as individual short plays rather than being tied together under a single larger concept. Whilst the thematic links are present, they do not always feel strong enough to justify the structure as a whole.

Performance-wise, Danielle James delivers the strongest work of the evening as TELEMACHUS / ISAAC / PHIA. It is a deeply emotional performance, filled with warmth, sincerity and vulnerability. James brings a real sense of humanity to each role, grounding even the more ambiguous moments with emotional truth.

Kate McNally as SAILOR gives a decent performance, though the character never feels fully defined, making it difficult to understand their place in the story fully.

Anna Marks Pryce as SAMUEL brings a solid presence to the stage, though there could be more depth within the friendships and relationships explored through the characterisation.

Rachel Andrews as TOBY has a genuinely lovely charm and warmth onstage, though similarly, the character occasionally lacks the fuller depth needed to completely connect emotionally.

OLDER is an ambitious and emotionally sincere production filled with thoughtful ideas about grief, memory and growing up. While the structure linking the three plays is not entirely cohesive, there are strong performances and moments of genuine emotional impact throughout. At its best, it is reflective, tender and quietly moving, even if some narrative ambiguity occasionally leaves the audience searching for clearer connections.

OLDER plays at the Riverside Studios in the River Room until 24th May. You can book tickets here: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/Bl-older/