It's the final curtain for The Seven Dials Playhouse (and a mini review for Pete 'n Keely from 2017)

I'm sad to read that the charming Seven Dials Playhouse is closing at the end of this month according to The Stage (subscription required). I'm not exactly surprised. The economics of running a central London venue is tough at the best of times, let alone only being a 70-seater. I suspect each incoming show barely broke even for either the venue or the theatre company.

It's the end of a long journey for the venue, formerly known as The Actors Centre which housed the Tristan Bates Theatre (named after Alan Bates's son). There's some background here on The Actor's Centre current site with their take on what happened. 

I've seen a few shows there and it's a cute venue in a great location with a cute bar so I am genuinely sorry to see it go. My favourite show I saw there was Pete 'n Keely back in 2017. A two-hander musical, it was witty, relatable and poignant with terrific performances from David Bardsley and Katie Kerr as Pete Bartel and Keely Stevens respectively. They are former sweethearts, a singing duo and TV hosts who are now divorced and haven't spoken to each other for 5 years and are thrown together for a TV reunion concert. Chaos ensues in this show within a show.

My memory of the detail of the story is sketchy as it's nearly a decade since I saw it, but I remember how it made me feel - I remember a lot of loud laughter but also feeling moved by the chemistry between the two. I thought more might have come of the production but I don't think it's been on anywhere since unfortunately, and having read the reviews for it retrospectively, it didn't go down that well with critics which is a shame given how much I enjoyed it.

There is some good news out of all of this - The Actors Centre is continuing its work and is now housed at the lovely Marylebone Theatre and I hope it continues to thrive.

Brainsluts at Seven Dials Playhouse

What happens when you trap four millennials in a hospital waiting room without WiFi? Dan Bishop's "Brainsluts" answers that question with both warmth and sharp wit in this Edinburgh Fringe hit that's now playing at The Seven Dials Playhouse in Covent Garden.

The premise is deceptively simple: four strangers participate in a clinical trial, spending one day a week over several weeks testing a mysterious new drug. When the WiFi fails and phone signals disappear, their planned day of doom-scrolling gets derailed, forcing actual human interaction. What follows is a masterclass in character comedy that feels both absurd and painfully relatable.

Dr Eavis (Emmeline Downie) oversees the chaos as the slightly frazzled researcher whose narration bookends each week's events. Downie strikes the perfect balance between professional authority and imposter-syndrome induced panic. Her commentary provides both structure and laughs as the situation unfolds.

The four guinea pigs or ‘brainsluts’ are brilliantly realised millennials. Kathy Maniura's Bathsheba floats through life in bohemian bliss, stringing beads while blissfully unaware of reality crashing around her. Robert Preston delivers a pitch-perfect performance as Duggan, the desperately eager young man whose attempts to connect fall flat through his social incompetence and inability to read the room. Dan Bishop (who also wrote the piece) embodies Mitch, the work-shy activist who views the drug trial as political resistance, while Bethan Pugh's Yaz initially seems the quietest of the bunch, lacking confidence and preferring to observe from the sidelines.

As the WiFi-free hours stretch on during the weekly visits, these characters reveal themselves in funny and unexpected ways. Bishop's writing sparkles with both comedy and uncomfortable truth as the lengths people will go to fill silence become apparent. The oversharing escalates, secrets spill, and modern life's absurdities get laid bare.

The comedy hits from the opening moments. Bishop has crafted dialogue that flows naturally while landing consistent laughs. His characters feel authentic rather than constructed, their neuroses and insecurities recognisable without being mean-spirited. There is some physical comedy too which complements the verbal wit beautifully. I particularly enjoyed the wonderfully surreal meditation scenes. Who knew that a guided meditation could (a) be funny and (b) reveal so much about each character.

Directors Noah Geelan and Seth Jordan, with associate director Rohan Sharma, make excellent use of the simple hospital waiting room set. The staging maintains energy and pace in the confined space, ensuring the action never feels static despite the limited setting. The cast maximizes every inch of the small stage, their movements and interactions keeping the audience engaged throughout.

What makes "Brainsluts" work so well is how it uses comedy to explore genuine themes about connection, loneliness, and modern life as experienced by young people. It exposes, perhaps, how our digital dependencies have changed the way we relate to each other. The characters' struggles to communicate face-to-face feel both funny and slightly tragic, a mirror to our own anxieties.

The performances are uniformly strong, with each actor fully committed to their character's particular brand of millennial dysfunction. Preston's physical comedy as the socially inept Duggan is particularly memorable, while Maniura brings genuine warmth to what could have been a one-note hippie stereotype. Bethan Pugh’s Yaz shows there’s much more to her than her anxiety. Emmeline Downey as Dr Eavis showed us a lot more depth than I was expecting as her own story is revealed at the end. Dan Bishop shows impressive range as both writer and performer. He nailed the politically passionate Mitch.

Having conquered Edinburgh, "Brainsluts" translates perfectly to London audiences who'll recognise themselves and people they know or have met in these characters. It's rare to find a play that's genuinely funny while also having something meaningful to say about contemporary life.

This is a smart, laugh-out-loud comedy that doesn't sacrifice substance for laughs and is relatable whether or not you're a Millennial. If you're looking for a short play about modern life that'll make you think while making you laugh, "Brainsluts" delivers exactly that. 

Brainsluts runs at The Seven Dials Playhouse until 13 February. Running time 70 minutes.

Guidelines at The New Diorama

Guidelines at the New Diorama Theatre, tucked away in the business district off Hampstead Road near Euston, was really good tonight. It was part performance art, part theatre and designed to challenge us about our algorithm fuelled world and the real implications of that on young minds in particular. The sound effects, soundtrack and lighting were particularly impressive for such a small venue and the performances from the two actors were fantastic... Strong delivery from both of them, great movement and coordination. The staging was strong too and gave me Kenrex vibes (although not as ambitious as Kenrex).

I'm still debating the ending in my head. It didn't quite land for me but the whole thing is giving me pause for thought and as such, means the play has done its job.

It was billed as scary, but it's more absurdist thriller than horror and there's no gore or disturbing visuals to worry about, but there are disturbing themes. There was plenty of atmosphere through the impressive soundscapes. 

There's much to applaud about this hour of experimental theatre. If you're looking for something a bit different that has something to say about the dystopian side of our internet culture, this will fit the bill.

Recommended.

Booking until 14/2 

https://newdiorama.com/whats-on/guidelines Both shows on Saturday are "pay what you can".

Writer - Pip Williams 

Director - James Nash

Sound Designer - Patch Middleton 

Lighting Designer - Adi Currie

Movement Director - Ken Nakajima

Producer - Moya Matthews

Dramaturg - Louise Irwin

Facilitator - Alessandra Zavagno

Opening Composition and vocalist - AJ Turner

Consultant Producer - Ella Dale

Stage Manager Sam Thornton 

Young Makers - Eva Martin-Smith, Abdullahi Ahmed Ibrahim, Rue Millwood & Mya Patel

Cast - Rachel-Leah Hosker and Alex McCauley