Review: GRILLS, Camden People’s Theatre 

Review: GRILLS, Camden People’s Theatre 

Summary

Rating

80

Excellent

A timely production which explores the highs and lows of queer community struggles and why we need to preserve and honour marginalised voices.

GRILLS is as captivating as any play about archives can be. It playfully explores the recorded history of the Camden Lesbian Centre and Black Lesbian Group, weaving together the past and present through the myriad materials found in countless filing cabinets.

The play intertwines two timelines. The first follows newcomer Valerie, portrayed by Jaye Hudson (she/her), who is creating a podcast about the Centre. She travels to Glasgow, where the archives are kept, joining three self-proclaimed queer nerds – Bee (Olivia Dowd – she/they), Jaz (Ishmael Kirby-he/they), and Mo (India Jean-Jacques – they/them) – in sifting through the records. Their interactions are juxtaposed with those of the Centre’s original staff, Barbara, Niamh, Sheila and Val, as they piece together the story from phone logs, meeting notes, and zines.

The group discovers with increasing tension that the archives encompass many aspects, some prettier than others: the beauty and sense of belonging at socials, playful flirting, the drama of breakups, tensions from funding cuts, homophobic abuse faced by staff, subtle and overt racism within the Centre, and the widespread transphobia of the time. Dreams begin and end within the Centre, leaving us to wonder—what could have been?

The actors exhibit great synergy and capture the various characters convincingly. Valerie, in particular, delivers intense moments, conveying the conflicting emotions of a trans woman striving to preserve the history of those who excluded people like her. Whether they are dancing to country music or screaming at the top of their lungs when they realize how beautiful the world could have been, Vall, Bee, Jaz and Mo manage to capture the audience throughout the play.

GRILLS beautifully explores its themes with a mix of ironic self-awareness and heartfelt emotion, delving into the highs and lows of queer community struggles. The production highlights the critical need to preserve and honour marginalised voices, tackling issues of racism, transphobia, and the challenges of remembering queer history with both humour and poignancy. These themes, both obvious and subtle, are explored with grace and care.

The music and sound design are immersive and high quality, from catchy 80s tunes to the distorted tapes on which the play itself is based. The lighting sets the tone effectively, and the minimal set design – four small filing cabinets and a notice board, with a phone in the middle – provides all that is needed for the various scenes.

This play is a poignant reminder of the enduring struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community, but celebrates the hard-won rights and lessons learned along the way.  Though the future remains uncertain, it is also unwritten, and GRILLS underscores the stakes involved, highlighting both what we stand to lose and the victories still within our grasp. 

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Co-creators: Chloe Christian and Olivia Dowd

Co-writer: afshan d’souza lodhi

Director- Chloe Christian 

Producer- Regina Agard-Brathwaite

Technical Stage Manager – Daniel Roach-Williams

Lighting Designer – Cheng Keng

Sound Designer – Raf Alero 

Production Manager – Jasmine Meera-Wall 

Set and Costume Designer – Cara Evans 

Dramatherapist – Nina Mdwaba 

Creative Consultant – Lehni Lamide Davies

GRILLS plays at the Camden People’s Theatre until Saturday 22nd June, part of the Camden Roar festival.

Further information and booking can be found here.