It is certainly an ambitious narrative, perhaps overly ambitious. It attempts to weave ancient Cretan mythology - specifically the legend of the Minotaur - into a 20th-century story of survival against the odds. Where the play succeeds best is in its dynamic performances and creative staging, even if the script struggles under the weight of its own scope.
Genevieve Dunne delivers a strong lead performance as Rena bringing emotional range and versatility to the role. Among the supporting cast, Leonie Hill is particularly strong, tackling multiple roles with sharp definition and presence. The two male actors, Harry Lukakis and Noah Young, offer solid support, though their varied characters suffer slightly as they were not as well drawn as some of the female roles. A lovely part of the production is the use of choreography. It is tightly executed, adding a fluid physical rhythm that helps the flow of the piece as we move between decades.
For a fringe production operating on a modest budget, the creative team makes clever use of space and design elements. The set is simple but evocative, anchored by a central rope tree and hanging street lamps on either side or a curtain. The lighting design builds a solid atmosphere, but the real highlight is the sound design. The choice of music and sound effects gives the production a distinctly filmic quality. While these atmospheric audio moments occasionally slow the theatrical momentum, they are carefully chosen and well-timed.
The production also incorporates shadow work to portray key narrative moments. The team's background with the acclaimed theatre company 1927 is evident in these visual choices. While these shadow sequences lack the absolute polish needed to land with full impact, the intention is clear and the technique adds an interesting visual layer to the storytelling.
Where Long After the Labyrinth encounters friction is in its writing. The script contains some brilliant individual scenes. A quiet encounter between an older Rena and a Rabbi is deeply poignant, and a party scene featuring a feisty Rena clashing with an upper-class British woman is sharply observed and witty and the scene with Rena and her children felt true, although someone needs to show the actors how to use a rotary phone!
The play attempts to pack an entire lifetime into a standard running time which means there are some jumps between years and a lot of scenes. These leaps create plot gaps and limit the character development. The narrative tries to cover so much ground that the audience is left tracking transitions rather than settling into the emotional arc.
The thematic threads are similarly mixed. While the production aims to explore peacebuilding, the emotional resonance leans far more heavily toward rage. The Minotaur functions effectively as a metaphor for Rena’s internal anger and unhealed trauma, but the actual motif of the labyrinth feels underdeveloped and gets lost along the way.
Long After the Labyrinth is an engaging evening of fringe theatre supported by a dedicated cast, inventive physical work, and strong atmospheric design. Genevieve Dunne’s performance alone makes it worth a look. Ultimately, the narrative scope feels almost too expansive for the stage; the story's depth might have found fuller expression in a novel or a feature length film. With a tighter focus on fewer, more fully realised scenes, this important and little known moment in history could reach more people.
Play seen on Friday 23 October 2026 and playing until 8 November 2026. Tickets and more information available here
