A killer script with an off-kilter execution
Originally premiering at Hampstead Theatre and transferring swiftly to the West End, The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm had audiences gripped and gasping in 2015. A two-hander following the story of an ominous arrangement made by two now grown-up schoolmates, this tightly-written thriller explores the inherent violence of human nature.
Heather (Cassandra Hercules) was bullied viciously at school by Carla (Serin Ibrahim) and her gang. What began as schoolyard bitchiness turned into violence and sexual assault. It’s no wonder that Heather is still holding the grudge 20 years later, especially as she struggles with infertility and suspects the violation by Carla (now pregnant with her fifth child), is the cause.
Deciding Carla is the perfect candidate for an unthinkable task, Heather reaches out to her old friend turned enemy, looking to meet up and reminisce. Not just a play about cruelty but also class, Heather is the middle class character with the idilic upbringing, while Carla experienced family violence that she proceeded to enact herself on her animal and human victims. Unfortunately the design by Jana Lakatos doesn’t support this element of the piece, dressing Hercules in cheap, poorly fitting clothes and accessories, ill-suited to a woman of her class.
A brief first act of 30 minutes is punctuated by pauses in the action, the actors hitting rewind and repeating elements of each scene again, accompanied by a snippet of a pop song. These repetitions, along with the choice by director James Haddrell to include music with lyrics in these moments, has an awkward and confusing impact, never fully explained.
The script is well delivered by the performers, particularly Ibrahim who hits every comic note, although doesn’t manage to reach the emotional intensity denoted in the script. The pace is also lacking, particularly in the second act, where momentum fails to build to the necessary climax.
Despite the strong, darkly comic dialogue, there are some implausible elements that make the events of the plots difficult to believe. Some very clunky fight choreography weakens the punch of the ending, not to mention the miracle of the worlds fastest acting chloroform.
Despite being somewhat rough around the edges, the core of this play is truly gripping. The audience hangs on every word and the constant twists make it impossible to guess where the story will end up. It’s an admirable effort to bring a killer script to life in a challengingly intimate venue.
The Wasp runs at Southwark Playhouse until May 30, 2026. Tickets here.