In His Words – Bread & Roses Theatre, Clapham

Writer: Heather Woodhouse
Director: TJ Roderick

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Lacking Emotion“

2 / 5

When Esther receives the script after being cast in a new play, she’s hit with a wave of déjà vu, recognising striking similarities between her previous relationship, and the conversations and experiences of her character. When she discovers it was in fact her ex that wrote the script, based on their relationship, she’s determined to make her character more likeable.

Director Rohan (Riya Rajeev) is less keen on the re-writing of events, eager to stick to the script, despite the ending not yet having been written. Rohan gets on well with Esther (Heather Woodhouse) though, and the two enjoy each others company, getting to know each other better while they work long hours together on rehearsals. This frustrates Esther’s current girlfriend Isabella (Megan Goldsman), who is feeling increasingly ignored by Esther, struggling to maintain her attention on the few occasions they’re home together. Will the play give Esther the self-discovery and reflection she hopes for, or will the relived experiences ruin another relationship of hers?

In His Words packs a LOT into a very short amount of time, in relation to both storyline and style, which is unfortunately to the shows detriment. The beginning 20 minutes or so is intriguing and humorous, as Esther slowly comes to the realisation that the script is about her. Isabella is gentle and endearing, while Rohan is confident and assertive, creating an enjoyable balance between the two main people in Esther’s life. Though, it’s a struggle to engage with Esther herself because for most of the production, she’s seemingly deliberately played to infuriate. Each of her lines are delivered with a loud monotone, leaving Esther lacking any emotion or depth for the audience to connect with. Woodhouse showcases moments of warmth and emotion at some other points throughout the script, so it’s a curious and frustrating choice to make her so robotic for the majority of it.

The latter half of the show is a messy jumble of abstract memories, contemporary dance to showcase dreams, the play-within-a-play and literary recitations. The intention to try and squeeze in as much as possible just muddies the production and makes it less engaging, rather than adding a profound element to it. It’s a shame because the beginning really does hold an intriguing premise, but becomes lost in a sea of absurdity.

Runs until 8th August 2026