Parlour Song – Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich

Writer: Jez Butterworth 
Director:  James Haddrell

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Suburban Secrets“

3 / 5

Ned is happy with his life – he lives in a nice house with a beautiful wife, in a quiet neighbourhood where everyone gets along. He enjoys his job as a demolition expert, often travelling to different cities across the UK for work, sometimes even making it in the local papers. But something is bothering him, and until he gets to the bottom of it, he won’t be able to rest.  

It starts out small – a missing screwdriver, a misplaced hairbrush, a set of cufflinks. But when the lawnmower disappears as well, it really throws Ned (Naveed Khan) off. Confiding in his friend and nextdoor neighbour Dale (Jeremy Edwards), he insists he isn’t losing his mind, certain he hasn’t just put them somewhere and forgotten, the local kids wouldn’t steal a trinket but leave the TV, but there’s no way you can accidentally lose a bird bath so what else can it be? His wife Joy (Kellie Shirley) keeps dismissing his concerns, but can she be trusted? Or is his insomnia over the lost items making him paranoid?  

This revival of Jez Butterworth’s mysterious drama is an enjoyable one, but overall it lacks the oomph needed to really captivate. Running at 100 minutes long, there is enough time to really delve into the lives of the characters, but although we know pretty much everything there is to know about them by the end of it, there is a struggle to connect with the characters as a whole, their lack of chemistry contributing to the at points flat energy of the production. The monotonous boredom from their suburban lifestyle occasionally become so well done that it starts to occasionally seep through into the production itself. There are some funny moments though, such as Ned’s bedtime podcast, alongside the curiosity of where the narrative is heading, which helps to keep the audience engaged until the final scenes.  

Emily Bestow’s set design is brilliantly intriguing, the large blue, homely backdrop showcasing various trinkets and storage spaces. The set easily transforms into different rooms with slick and easy transitions as the actors move fluidly around. There are occasional projections utilised also, adding to the visual interest and contributing to the mysterious atmosphere of the narrative. The occasional sound design works fantastically to ramp up the suspense and elevate the drama on-stage, a nice addition from director James Haddrell.  

Considering some of the subject matter, and Ned’s job – it’s hard not to have hoped that there would be a few more explosive scenes, but for a slow burn and an easy watch, this is a solid enough production that will entertain.  

Runs until 24^th May 2025