The Watch – The Glitch, Waterloo

Writer: Isabella Waldron
Director: Merle Wheldon

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Interesting Watch“

3.5 / 5

~This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub ~

Insomniac Hannah is always up in the early hours of the morning, the loud ticking of her grandfather’s old wristwatch a constant reminder that she’s wide awake once again. Although it’s not the problem, it definitely doesn’t help, so she takes it to a local clockmaker to be repaired, which turns out to be unexpectedly fabulous timing on her part.

Hannah (Ciana Howlin) was expecting a jolly Geppetto-like figure, but Zoe (Kate Crisp) is young, beautiful and enchanting – immediately catching Hannah’s attention and drawing her in. When the pair matches on Hinge later that evening, they agree to meet up for a drink, which sets the ticking clock of their relationship in motion. But can they truly work? Zoe seems interested – but she rushes off at 8pm every evening like a modern-day Cinderella, to stick to her medieval sleep schedule of two sleep shifts each night, with a few hours of productivity in between. Considering Hannah can barely sleep at all, there’s a disconnect between the two, and she’s unsure if their chemistry and attraction can overcome it.

On the face of it, The Watch is a simple, endearing love story between two captivating performers. Howlin is fast-paced and funny, her easy comic delivery and personable demeanour making her a perfect narrator for her story. In comparison, Crisp is gentle and measured, almost ethereal in nature – her soothing calmness creating a well-balanced chemistry between the two. But underneath the surface, the cogs of the storyline work away in the background – Hannah’s apprehension of showing her queerness in public, her experience of coming out to her family, the insomnia, Zoe’s rejection of technology and her intriguing sleep pattern. These small narrative details help to expand the wider storyline, without ever being too overwhelming.

The small space of The Glitch works well with the intimacy of the story, though at points, the production is very static, and depending on where you sit, the visibility can be a little restrictive. Howlin does well to direct her lines to individuals in the audience, as if she’s recounting the story to you directly, but it would be fantastic if she also moved around the space slightly more to reduce the initial ‘stand up’ style performance for the beginning of the show, and allow the audience to feel further immersed into the narrative.

The engaging storyline, electric connection between the two performers, and the unique added detail of the medieval sleep cycle make this an interesting watch – in all senses of the word.

Runs until 9 June 2025