Review: A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy, Soho Theatre 

A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy, co-created by Cian Binchy, Shaun Dunne, and Leah Moore, is a darkly comic exploration of fantasy, identity, and mental health. On stage, Binchy is joined by devising performer Anna Constable, as they unpack the experience of masking: concealing one’s true self in order to fit in.

The story centres on Alfie Murphy, a fictional character described by the director as “like Cian, but not Cian.” Once the lyricist for the band ‘Camden Stoners’, Alfie reinvents himself first as a spiritual guru in India and later reappears as a self-published autobiographer. His identity shifts repeatedly, but one central question remains unresolved: “When the person you show to the world is just a mask, what’s underneath?” It’s a question asked by Alfie – and by everyone who has ever grown used to masking.

Audience interaction plays a large role in the show, but it never feels excessive or forced. Instead, it deepens the connection between performers and audience. Early on, Alfie asks three audience members about their favourite songs. Later, as the guru version of himself, he offers absurd, yet oddly insightful advice based on those lyrics. At one point, the audience is led in a communal chant of “I’m well, you are well, we are well, all is well,” complete with gestures, a silly but joyful moment that invites everyone to join in. During the talk show segment, flashing “APPLAUSE” signs blur the line between theatre and the television, transforming spectators into participants and heightening the tension as Alfie begins to lose grip on his performance.

The stage design follows the play’s emotional arc with subtle precision. At first, the space is almost bare: a central circular platform, translucent curtain panels, and shifting neon light create a dreamlike atmosphere. As Alfie’s various personas emerge, the stage gradually fills with props: boxes, posters, life-sized cardboard cut-outs, and promotional displays for his book, symbolising the many identities he’s constructed. During Alfie’s final monologue, as he reflects on fantasy and identity, the set is slowly dismantled. Light shines through the curtain to reveal faded silhouettes of Alfie’s former selves, as though his masks are left outside the room and he is alone in a small enclosed room, now facing only himself.

Both Binchy and Constable are influential voices in neurodivergent performance, and this show is a powerful reminder that fantasy doesn’t belong only to the neurotypical. For many autistic and learning-disabled people, imagination is a vital mental space, not a luxury. A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy is not just a play about identity; it is also about pain, isolation, fantasy, and longing.

Crucially, the production is built with neurodivergent audiences in mind. Every performance is relaxed, and the programme is available in standard, large-print, and high-contrast formats, ensuring accessibility for all.

This is a work of great creative ambition with clear structure, emotional resonance, and space for interpretation. In this “small enclosed room,” we don’t just meet Alfie; we hear the voices of those who are often overlooked, people who live behind masks, yet still strive to be seen, heard and understood.

Written by: Cian Binchy, Shaun Dunne, Leah Moore
Directed by: Nick Llewellyn
Lighting Design by: Jason Addison
Sound Design by: Jethro Cooke

A Small Enclosed Room with Alfie Murphy runs at Soho Theatre until Saturday 17 May 2025. The show will then be on tour until Saturday 12 July.