180̊ Chord at Greenwich Theatre (Studio) Review
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
180̊ Chord, presented by Too Write Productions, has already enjoyed critical acclaim from productions staged in 2022 and 2024, and it now concludes its most recent tour in Greenwich. The marketing blurb does not give much away. All we know is that it is about a police officer who ends up behind bars with a target on their head, receiving unlikely help from a fellow inmate. It’s an intriguing premise and raises plenty of questions to be answered over the next couple of hours.
Written and directed by Chris Leicester, the play is well suited to the intimate space of Greenwich Theatre’s Studio. The stage is bare except for some basic furniture – a single bed, a couple of chairs, a toilet and a small table with, incongruously, a teddy bear sitting on it. It’s basic, it’s lacking in home comforts, it’s clearly a prison cell. The scene is set. As the action unfolds, the prison environment is brought to life with a soundtrack of rumbling unrest, shouting and the occasional voice-over that takes us away from the prison and into a Courtroom or a police interview room. A scene in the prison garden jars a little as the accompanying birdsong is such a contrast with the bleak and violent norm. Unfortunately, at this performance, a constant hum from the speakers and bright light coming from the tech desk were slightly distracting – both can hopefully be easily fixed with a couple of tweaks.
The play starts with fairly bold declarations from the two characters. DS John Gray is introduced at his sentencing, stating firmly in his defence “I did nothing wrong”. Convict Connor is talking about his experiences to an audience, “I am a criminal”. It all seems clear and very black and white. But as the play progresses, we are given more information and find out about the significant events that have brought these two men to their current state of incarceration. From childhood trauma and abuse to a career hiccup and unemployment, it’s all led to this 180̊ reversal of fortune. As the play approaches its dramatic conclusion, we revisit these opening statements, this time with the added context we have gained. It’s an excellent way of framing the action.
As the play opens, we learn that we’re in the middle of a riot and that the prison guards have totally lost control. The two men are softly-spoken, it’s slightly difficult to catch every line in their interaction, but we don’t miss anything important, and the softer delivery feels deliberate and very natural. Neither character dominates; each is getting the measure of the other, and the audience cannot decide who is the hero and who the villain and indeed we wonder if it is going to be this clear cut. This sets up all of their interactions perfectly – the more we learn, the more the tension grows, it’s real “edge of the seat” stuff.
Although 180̊ Chord is a two-hander, the actors also have solo scenes in which they’re talking to third parties, and they address empty chairs placed at the front of the stage for these interactions, a very effective technique that almost breaks the fourth wall, drawing the audience right into the dialogue. There’s a clever nod to this in the script as well, with our convict and copper discussing the power of theatre and performance.
Leicester’s direction sets a great pace, seamlessly taking us from scenes in the prison to the flashbacks that fill the gaps in the stories of our two unreliable narrators. With so much information to take in, he also makes good use of pauses in the narrative to give the audience time to absorb every new revelation.
The casting is excellent. As DS John Gray and Connor, Paul Findlay and Dominic Thompson are perfectly matched, with the balance of power shifting between them. Findlay is completely convincing as the cold career copper, with a single-minded focus on removing “vermin” from the streets. Scratch the surface and his anger is barely controlled – brilliantly revealed in a one-sided and emotional exchange with his father. At first Thompson seems an unlikely criminal, but his delivery offers one of the most chilling and disturbing scenes in the play, his icy control much more sinister than any physical power play.
180̊ Chord is a gripping piece of theatre that tells a complex and dramatic story that will keep you guessing right to the end. With superb direction and performances, the two hours go very quickly, it is time very well served.
180̊ Chord runs in the Greenwich Theatre Studio until Sunday 19th January 2026. Find out more and book here.
★★★★
