A review of Stalled the musical on at the King's Head Theatre, London

Sarah

Feb 184 min read

⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐For Lauren Ward and Josie Benson

Theatre can be a tricky beast when confined to a single setting, but Stalled a new musical at the King's Head Theatre turns that limitation into something interesting. Set entirely in a posh ladies’ loo, this new musical delivers sharp humour and deeply human moments.

The cast gathered around the sinks central to the scene — The full cast including covers who perform as part of the ensemble. Photo Johan Persson

In fact the ladies loo is so nice, with hand lotions, nail polishes, and comfortable seating, that a fellow male reviewer asked me if that sort of thing actually exists. It does indeed, but normally within the grander of hotels such as the Ritz, (the ladies in Manzi's restaurant in Soho are also worth checking out for the amazing fixtures and fittings). But these seemed a little improbable to be the toilets belonging to an office building. None the less, all the action takes place in here, whilst real life is happening outside in Seattle and beyond.

It’s a clever concept, well executed by a talented cast who breathe life into a script that, at times doesn't really help the characters develop to their full potential. I think that the reason for this is that there were just too many of them for them all to be developed. Eleven actors in all, for this small venue and the relatively short running time of 90 minutes without an interval. There were at least three characters that I couldn't see the point of them being in the show, and others such as 'Sophie' (played by Isabella Gervais), that could have been so much more interesting given a chance for the character to develop. There were also a lot of stage entrances down the aisles, it got a little tiresome after a while, again probably because of the size of the cast.

Woman sitting in front of a bathroom sink unit — Lauren Ward as Maggie the cleaner with a big heart. Photo Johan Persson

At the heart of the show is Lauren Ward, playing Maggie, whose performance is nothing short of captivating. With impeccable comic timing and an ability to shift from wit to raw emotion in a heartbeat, she anchors the production effortlessly. In the small space I could see her shedding real tears. Her character feels real— trying to 'mother' everyone (whether they want her to do that, or not), solve their problems, whilst dealing with some of the stages of grief - denial and anger.

Woman standing in front of a sink, her daughter seated behind her — Grace Venus and Josie Benson. Photo Johan Persson

Kudos also has to go to Josie Benson, who shines as Cynthia, a frazzled alcoholic/medicated mother striving to accept her neurodivergent daughter and mourning the perfect child she thought that she'd have. Her performance is beautifully restrained, never veering into melodrama but instead offering an honest and poignant look at parental love and frustration. She gives the role depth and dignity, making her one of the most memorable presences in the show. As she starts to accept her daughter, she starts to accept herself. The daughter Emma, played by Grace Venus, offers up some of the sweeter and funnier moments of the show, posing such questions as, 'what's your favourite number, and why?'

All to often in smaller productions there isn't a decent budget for costumes, but this was far from the case in Stalled where many of the actors underwent multiple costume changes as the stories progressed, the most notable being the Korean mother Angela (played by Cezarah Bonner) who appears in a series of well put together outfits, think Phase Eight, Hobbs, LK Bennett or Jaeger.

Musically, Stalled has some good moments supported by a small band. The opening number Stalled set the scene well. There are a few moments where the lyrics lean into the overly expositional, spelling out emotions that might be better left to the actors' expressions, but overall, the music enhances rather than detracts from the experience.

This is a musical likely to mainly appeal to women. It’s about motherhood, ambition, disappointment, and the quiet ways people try to lift each other up. I did find myself responding to Maggie's emotions with a bit of a wet eye, but it was also the 7th anniversary of my friend Linda's death, and I was a little fragile. The strength of the performances, particularly from Lauren Ward and the Josie Benson, elevate the production.

Stalled is worth the trip to Islington. But take a tissue or two.

Creatives

Book & Lyrics Liesl Wilke

Music & Lyrics Andy Marsh with additional music and lyrics by Kyle Puccia

Director Vikki Stone

Cast

Lauren Ward | Maggie

Grace Venus | Emma

Carrie Sutton | Mary-Anne/ Resident Director

Evita Khrime | Serena

Josie Benson | Cynthia

Regina Co | Krystal