Enjoyable evening of co-creation in a refreshing and entertaining format, brilliantly executed by the Talking People team.
Walking into Underbelly Boulevard, expectations were unclear, but the director swiftly set the tone with a punchy and relatable introduction. A reminder that everyone in the room is human, that humour is subjective and that no offence is intended established an atmosphere of generosity and collaboration. What followed was a genuinely shared theatrical experience, shaped live by cast, director and audience. Talking People tells stories through directed improvisation, with lightly prepared characters and narratives built in the moment using audience prompts, a Bag of Pain, relationship cards and the director’s guiding hand.
This performance featured Aliyah Odoffin (All My Sons), Will Merrick (F1), Alexander Theo (Dreaming Whilst Black), Amelia Clarkson (Red Rose) and Elisha Applebaum (Fate: The Winx Saga). Initial nerves gradually gave way to confidence as the story took shape.
The narrative centred primarily on Tony, played by Merrick, and John, played by Theo, and their relationship. Through sustained audience questioning, the first half became an intense examination of the two men, inadvertently sidelining the three female characters. Structured as a panel discussion with the cast seated and interrogated by the audience, this format offered strong foundations for character development but left the women comparatively underexplored.
Odoffin engaged most readily with the dynamic, using audience interaction to deepen Rhia and integrate her more fully into the central relationship. Applebaum’s choice to present a character already settled and secure limited opportunities for dramatic tension, while Clarkson’s more guarded portrayal of Zoe, though believable, constrained the character’s capacity for growth. Whether this imbalance stemmed from audience focus, directorial steering or differing levels of improvisational ease remains open to question, and it would be intriguing to see how the balance shifts on another evening.
Merrick handled sustained scrutiny with assurance, though a late decision to define Tony as fully gay created narrative complications that required some backtracking to permit interconnected storylines with the female characters. Theo was the standout of the night, embodying John with emotional clarity and physical conviction. His performance extended beyond sharp answers to audience questions; the character felt lived in and empathetically drawn.
The second half, shorter and more traditionally staged, unfolded in a flat setting with minimal audience interaction until the end. Here, the material generated in the first hour was dramatised into a cohesive scenario. The shift in format clarified the story and allowed the emotional consequences of earlier revelations to land with greater weight.
While the production is billed as an exploration of seeking answers in the cold and chaotic world of the internet, this strand felt underdeveloped. A reference to AI-generated pornography appeared somewhat shoehorned and lacked depth. In truth, the evening’s strength lies less in commentary on digital culture and more in its examination of relationships, perception and the often unheard voices on the sidelines.
As an experience, the show succeeds. It is lively, engaging and consistently fresh, with each performance existing only in the moment it is created. The comedy tends towards sharp, fleeting observations rather than enduring set pieces, but that ephemerality is part of the appeal. The lasting impression is not of a standout story but of shared humanity, spontaneity and connection.
Catch Talking People on 9th March at Shoreditch House with a later show in late April to be announced. Follow them on Instagram here.