A tender, witty triumph, it reimagines time through the lens of queer intimacy
It’s been a long time since I last walked out of a show feeling like I’d just spent a wonderful, heartwarming hour. The Watch made that happen.
Co-produced by Bomb Factory Theatre and Chris Edge and directed by Merle Wheldon, The Watch, a new piece by Isabella Waldron, is currently premiering at The Glitch in South London. The show is built on a simple premise: Hannah (played by Ciana Howlin), troubled by her inability to fall asleep, meets a watchmaker, Zoe (Kate Crisp). The encounter between them explores healing, genuine connection, and the mending of our bodies’ broken internal rhythms in a modern world. Though the concept is straightforward, the writing makes the story deeply endearing through brilliant dialogue and world-building, all while keeping the emotional core at its heart.
The writing is fun, honest, and quirky in the best way. The story is narrated by Hannah, whose character feels so authentically crafted—quirky, messy, yet deeply relatable—that you’re utterly charmed from her very first words. Ciana’s performance as Hannah is absolutely enthralling. She grabs the audience’s attention from the very beginning and never lets go. Through her narration, we fully immerse ourselves in her life and start to experience the world through her quirky yet deeply genuine point of view. The dialogue between Hannah and Zoe also sparkles with humor and chemistry. The dynamic between the two feels so compelling that you can’t help but lean into their conversations, laughing and frowning along with every line and twist.
Merle Wheldon masterfully brings together set, lighting, and sound design to create an intimate yet cohesive world. The downstairs theater at The Glitch provides the perfect space for this heartwarming piece. The set design is simple yet effective, symbolizing the two distinct worlds of the characters before they merge. Meanwhile, the lighting crafts a fantastical yet immersive atmosphere, enhancing each scene’s emotional beats. The sound design subtly supports the world-building for most of the play but shines in particularly striking moments, immersing the audience into Hannah’s world.The Watch explores how we navigate connections in today’s fragmented, chaotic world. It reinvents the telling of queer stories in its own way – so simple, yet so deeply captivating and affecting – and redefines how we share time: no longer counting the ticking of the clocks, here we experience time in shared breath and warmth from the loved ones, in the tracing of wrinkles, in the quiet moments where time dissolves altogether.
Runs at the Glitch until 9th June. Tickets here.