180⁰ Chord – Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich

Writer / Director: Chris Leicester

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Atmospheric“

3 / 5

John Gray was an established police officer, always on the right side of the law, following processes and procedures to the letter. Connor on the other hand, a seasoned criminal, who worked his way up the ranks, making a name for himself in the area as somebody never to cross.

John (Paul Findlay) hated criminal behaviour, but after a fateful, violent incident, his years of service and dedication evaporate immediately, sentenced to do his time no differently to any of those he convicted prior, such as Connor (Dominic Thompson). When the pair both end up in the same maximum security prison due to an admin “error”, it’s only a matter of time before tensions erupt and they’re both faced with the consequence of their actions.

Written and directed by Chris Leicester, it’s an intriguing show, that dives into the mindset and motivations of (ex) copper and criminal well, while creating an atmospheric intensity that lingers throughout the show. The urgency is constant within the well-paced scenes, delivered believably by the two strong leads who delicately showcase the intricacies of their relationship and internal emotions. Occasionally, some of the transitions between present and past are slightly unclear, so some stronger definition would be appreciated to avoid any misunderstanding. Advertised with a 2hrs 10min running time, it is much shorter (30min first half, 50min second half, 20min interval), which benefits the production by ensuring the suspense remains continuously palpable.

The intimate studio space within Greenwich Theatre works very well to extract the tension and intensity, occasionally focusing intently on various audience members, directing their speeches to them individually, adding a level of immersion that works wonderfully. Though, the sound design is unfortunately to the productions detriment. A constant, loud, buzzing noise from a speaker was present throughout the entire first half (and some of the second) on the night we reviewed, making it hard to hear some of the quieter interactions, and distracting from the otherwise well structured dialogue. Hopefully this was just an unfortunate glitch on one evening, as it really impacted the enjoyment of a dialogue heavy show, and the few sound effects that utilised the speaker didn’t warrant the impact of the buzzing.

An intricately written show, with two talented performers, that portray their opposing characters with ease.

Runs until 18th January 2026