ajhlovestheatre

THE GUILTY

by Chloë Moss

directed by Felix Barrett

Donmar Warehouse, London – until 15 August 2026

running time: 1 hour no interval 

https://www.donmarwarehouse.com/events/the-guilty/?instance-type=standard#content-overview

It’s quite the challenge trying to review a piece of theatre where the surprise is its principal raison d’être, but I love a challenge. So, apparently, does Russell Tovey, taking solo command of the stage for the taut, dynamic sixty minute duration of this mini-thriller distilled by Chloë Moss from the critically acclaimed 2018 Danish film Den Skyldige. 

In The Guilty (the title turns out to be tantalisingly ambiguous), Tovey, with his characteristic mixture of tough guy swagger and unexpected vulnerability, plays emergency response police officer Joe, experiencing a dark night of the soul as he juggles work and personal life. Joe is on the eve of a trial for something terrible, the details of which are only revealed later on, and in between fielding calls from the flotsam and jetsam of humanity who contact him in his professional capacity -some in genuine anguish and need, some time wasters- he tries to take comfort in speaking to his six year old daughter and his furious partner. Then in comes a call from a highly distressed young woman who claims to be in a speeding van with a weapon-wielding maniac, and Joe is plunged into a mission to save her while also protecting her daughter, the same age as his own, who he manages to contact by phone, and the second child who’s still a baby. 

If you’ve seen the original movie, or the American remake with Jake Gyllenhaal, some of the twists and turns will be familiar, although Moss and director Felix Barrett complete the play with a coup de théâtre that departs from the earlier versions. Though exciting and theatrically effective, it feels more like showboating than anything vital to the plot or to significantly enhance our understanding of what we’ve been watching. 

Tovey turns in an impressively naturalistic performance, so low key initially that when Joe gives himself over to panic or fury, we’re left in no doubt as to how high the stakes are. The transitions between stoic professional mode and impassioned humanity are managed seamlessly, and the phone conversations with his slightly too-mature-sounding daughter are touching and tender.

Technically, the show is remarkable. Alex Eales’ set and Anna Watson’s lighting are grungily stylish, their monochrome uniformity punctured only by ribbons and pops of blood red light to indicate either a phone call coming in or a moment of extreme stress, sometimes both. The sound contributions by Gareth Fry and Sally Messham are particularly stunning, and essential to the overall impact of Barrett’s hyper-tense and perfectly paced staging. It’s all so well done that it almost distracts from the possibility that a play where the sole visible character is on the phone the whole time can get a little samey. Moss’ writing is probably superior to that of Levi Holloway’s for Paranormal Activity, Barrett’s other recent West End hit (soon to be seen on Broadway), but The Guilty is less satisfying overall.

As a cat-and-mouse game thriller and as an exercise in how live performance can rack up the tension when all the elements coalesce, The Guilty works tremendously well. From a psychological standpoint though, it’s pretty simplistic, even exploitative (although that’s arguably a charge that could be levelled at much of the thriller genre, to be fair) and running at a mere hour, it’s pretty small beer for a complete night out. Still, Tovey is excellent, Barrett’s world-building is very accomplished, and if you like to feel thoroughly creeped out while sitting in your theatre seat, this show will undoubtedly do that for you.