Montague’s Millions – Jack Studio Theatre, Brockley

Writer: Luke Adamson 
Director: Kate Bannister

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Fantastic Fluidity“

4 / 5

When three strangers receive a mysterious letter inviting them to the lavish Montague Manor for a will reading, their curiosity is peaked. Told to keep it a secret and guard the letter with their life, they take the sleeper train to Penzance hoping that a tidy fortune awaits them at the other end of the tracks.  

James McDonald (Tice Oakfield) has a sick child, an out of work wife, and is struggling to get the funds together to help pay for his daughter’s medicine. Lady Penelope Cunningham (Julia Pagett) comes from money, but her husband gambled her fortune away leaving her with nothing. Dr Gordon Henderson (Adam Elliott) tries to help as many patients as possible, but rising bills and little income means he’s at risk of losing the surgery he’s worked tirelessly to keep. The trio are in desperate need of financial help, so although unexpected, the will comes at a welcome time in their lives. But just how much fortune will they walk away with?! 

Luke Adamson has created a wonderfully thought-out plot, crafted perfectly to keep intrigue high and the characters engaging. The story is told directly from each of the characters, each of their sections neatly delivered and combined into each other, so although there are three distinct voices, there is never a break in the tale, the script flowing easily throughout. This mirrors Kate Bannister’s slick direction and Karl Swinyard’s versatile set design, allowing for fantastic fluidity as the actors swiftly transform into new characters and adapt the background with effortless transitions. This really helps to incorporate magic and excitement into the production, never quite sure what’s coming next in their journey to Penzance or in their interactions with each other.  

Elliott, Oakfield and Pagett are wonderful within their roles – likeable and endearing, their characters still flawed to allow a realistic human portrayal, they allow the audience to fully invest into each of their narrative strands. Clearly well-rehearsed and talented, they easily and flexibly morph into each character seamlessly, often adding a comedic spin that is well incorporated into the script. Matt Karmios & El Theodorou contribute to the atmospheric production with background music that helps keep the mysterious element rife.

This is a brilliantly interesting show, that keeps you completely hooked from beginning to end.  

Runs until 5^th January 2025