Wishes – The Libra Theatre Café, Camden

Writer: Simina Ellis & Glenn T. Griffin (with excerpts by Sonny Simonelli)
Director: Glenn T. Griffin

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Emotional Rollercoaster“

4.5 / 5

Adam is stuck in A&E on Christmas Eve with a head wound – but with no sign of the doctor, and his family waiting at home, he’s considering just giving up and heading back. That is, until he gets wrapped up in conversation with talkative stranger Agnes.

Agnes (Jess Cole) is a regular at the hospital – her bag is packed to the brim filled with forms, snacks, drinks and games, preparing to hunker down for a long night of waiting. Her chirpy, extroverted demeanour initially aggravates the tired Adam (Curtis Burrows) but he humours her and plays along with a strange game she’s proposed called Scenarios – offering him a chance to review all the options (in a vaguely similar way to A Christmas Carol) that might be waiting for him when he leaves the hospital doors. But who is Agnes and how has she guessed so many accurate things about him?

Magical yet heart-wrenching, brilliantly wicked humour yet devastatingly sad. Wishes takes you on a little festive, emotional rollercoaster that keeps the audience on their toes throughout! Without giving the storyline away completely, from the outset, it’s obvious that something is not quite right, but its never fully obvious where exactly the plot will go, with so many different potential paths, making it incredibly enjoyable to see the narrative slowly unfold. The well-written script is packed with clever twists, shocking revelations and unexpected outcomes that materialise at various points throughout the show.

Jess Cole is fabulously engaging as Agnes – although her character is initially purposefully annoying, her cheeky charm and encouraging personality means she becomes wonderfully endearing as the narrative plays out. Cole perfects the bubbly, excitable persona, and ensures Agnes is as loveable as she should be. Curtis Burrows plays Adam with deft emotional depth that completely captures the tenderness within the script. His sister Anna (Simina Ellis) and partner Harry (Sonny Simonelli) add humour, warmth and another layer of moving sentiment, that ties the whole storyline together in a lovely, satisfying ending. Although it’s sweet, and at times very funny, it’s still peppered with some very sad moments, so definitely bear that in mind if booking for a light-hearted show! Overall, a tender, thought-provoking, but fun, festive delight.

Runs until 21st December 2025