Review: Miss Myrtle’s Garden, Bush Theatre

Danny James King‘s Miss Myrtle’s Garden is one of those rare plays that grips you from the first moment and refuses to let go. Equal parts tender, hilarious and gut-wrenching, it is a sharp meditation on memory, family and cultural legacy that feels entirely fresh. With writing that fizzes with wit and a production that’s as immersive as it is intimate, Miss Myrtle’s Garden is a masterclass in storytelling.

King’s writing is sharp, witty and deeply moving, crafted with an impressively tight structure. There are clever nods and inside jokes that anyone familiar with Jamaican culture will appreciate, especially the joyful use of nicknames based on physical appearance. These moments often have the audience in stitches, with more than one outburst of applause. They add a layer of warmth and authenticity to the world King builds, grounding the emotional weight in cultural truth.

The choice to stage the play in the round is perfect. The actors tend to Miss Myrtle’s garden throughout, using real soil, water, and plants, a beautiful, living metaphor for memory, nurture, and decline. Lighting and sound design are both exceptional. The circular light above the stage crackles into life, and coupled with the piercing sound during transitions, it creates a visceral experience. The blackouts and sonic intensity are deeply unsettling; perhaps director Taio Lawson’s way of placing the audience directly into Myrtle’s disorientation. If so, he succeeds with devastating clarity.

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay plays Rudy, Miss Myrtle’s grandson, with a delicate balance of kindness and internal conflict. He’s torn between living authentically and honouring what he perceives as his grandmother’s expectations. Elander Moore is a joy as Jason, Rudy’s stylist boyfriend, bringing sharp comic relief with exceptional timing. Described in the script as having a ‘resting bitch face’, Moore leans into the role with confidence and charm, stealing many of the lighter moments.

Mensah Bediako brings a grounded strength to Melrose, Miss Myrtle’s husband, calm and stoic, but capable of real tenderness and humour. Gary Lilburn gives a gentle, quietly powerful performance as Eddie, the helpful neighbour whose grounded presence becomes a lifeline for Rudy.

But it’s Diveen Henry who truly commands the stage as Miss Myrtle. Her performance is breathtaking. With razor-sharp comic timing and brutal honesty, she delivers cutting lines (her thoughts on what she’d do if her missing cat ever returned are wickedly funny) while also portraying the heartbreak of dementia with raw vulnerability. It’s a complex, layered role, and Henry inhabits it fully: devastating and magnetic in equal measure.

Miss Myrtle’s Garden is a poignant blend of wicked humour and heartrending sorrow, offering an unflinching look at the stark realities of living with dementia, while also revealing the unexpected moments of tenderness and light that can emerge amid the darkness. An outstanding première that will have a long life beyond its initial production at the Bush.

Written by: Danny James Kind
Directed by: Taio Lawson
Set & Costume design by: Khadija Raza
Lighting Design by: Joshua Gadsby
Movement & intimacy director: Yarit Dor
Production Dramaturg: Olivia Poglio-Nwabali

Miss Myrtle’s Garden plays at Bush Theatre until Saturday 12 July.