ajhlovestheatre

HEART WALL

by Kit Withington

directed by Katie Greenall

Bush Theatre, London – until 16 May 2026

running time: 100 minutes no interval

https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/heart-wall/

Audience participation karaoke on the immersive pub set (designer: Hazel Low) that has taken over the Bush’s main house makes for a disarming start to Kit Withington’s new comedy-drama. It sets a misleadingly playful tone for Katie Greenall’s production which curdles quite drastically as this Mancunian-accented slice of social realism progresses. Heart Wall is richly enjoyable for sure, but it’s equal parts elliptical and accessible, examining the harrowing subjects of grief and fractured families through a booze and pop music-fuelled lens that sometimes blurs focus but is seldom less than engrossing.

Twenty-something Franky (Rowan Robinson) has returned home to the North West for a visit from London, prompted by friends expressing concern that her Dad, proudly working class Dez (Deka Walmsley), is behaving strangely; meanwhile Mum Linda (Sophie Stanton) is spending an inordinate amount of time at her own mother’s, the family pet rabbit has gone missing….and over at the local pub where the landlady hasn’t been seen in months, every night is karaoke night. Withington constructs short, staccato scenes with plenty of humour and heart, that collectively build up a convincing picture of community and people with shared history whose lives are tetchily intertwined.

At times it resembles soap opera, and I mean that as a compliment: the characters have a relatable, ripped-from-life vitality, complete with quirks and flaws, and they express themselves in language that sounds like real people talking, bubbling over with pop culture references and verbal idiosyncrasies. Withington’s dialogue is salty, funny (“have you ever seen your nana’s toenails? Have you ever just caught sight of them, Frank? They’re like little shovels on the end of each foot…She always has her shoes off. She won’t mither with slippers”)…and sometimes gains an expected poetic edge. Amongst all the naturalism, a pervasive strangeness intrigues and troubles. Withington keeps her cards close to her chest until fairly late on as to where all this is heading, resulting in the same must-watch compulsiveness of the finest soaps. If the final revelations are a tad anti-climactic, the journey to get there is entirely worth the taking.

Perhaps surprisingly, the shifts in tone tend to keep the piece fresh and engaging rather than whiplash-inducing. The quality of the acting is undoubtedly an enormous contributing factor to this:  to see a whole company so thoroughly and convincingly inhabit their roles to this extent is a rare pleasure and, honestly, an encapsulation of the magic of theatre. Robinson makes Franky simultaneously needy and independent, a bright, complex young woman with a streak of self-obsession that becomes increasingly apparent and understandable as the story goes on. Walmsley is tremendous as struggling, self-flagellating Dez, his sudden outbursts of volcanic anger breaking through an otherwise stoic exterior. Stanton is so natural as Linda, finding the delicate balance between kindness and exasperated grit, that it barely looks like acting. Olivia Forrest is a knockout, but with unexpected depth, as Franky’s old school friend, and Aaron Anthony is heartwarming yet totally real as the pub barman who has the greatest handle on what’s going on with this disparate group of people. This is ensemble acting at it’s very best.

Greenall’s staging is exquisitely paced, snappy when it needs to be but slowing down to realise, quite beautifully, the play’s more sensitive and sinister moments. That said, the blocking throughout favours the central section of the Bush’s auditorium, giving the unfortunate impression that the show has been directed for a traditional proscenium stage rather than the open one with audience on three sides, where it is actually playing. The karaoke theme sometimes feels a little grafted-on, meaning that fragments of songs are performed throughout. This is mostly great fun, although a rendition of The Pretenders’ ‘Brass In Pockets’ as part of a mother-daughter rapprochement is more baffling and awkward than inspired.

Low’s design, Simisola Majekodunmi’s lighting and Mwen’s sound and compositions are vivid components in the production’s overall impact, turning downright lairy when required. Minor quibbles aside, Heart Wall is an excellent example of a piece that successfully straddles quality drama and popular entertainment. It’s laugh-out-loud funny and, ultimately, genuinely moving, never mawkish. Withington’s love for her mouthy, fallible characters is palpable, and this dream cast bring them to vibrant life. Recommended.