Baby Steps at Riverside Studios, London Review
It’s not very often that you watch a piece of theatre which feels so fresh that your immediate reaction is, “how has this never been done before?” Enter Baby Steps at The Riverside Studios: a 60-minute comedy on the subject of midwifery.
Set in the present day, the piece follows Georgina, an ex-Cambridge student turned upper-middle-class housewife navigating life in London. And Molly - an intelligent, somewhat snarky midwife who’s just clocked out of a twelve-hour shift at the hospital. The twist? They used to be best friends, and Georgina is very pregnant.
After an awkward reunion, we watch them navigate Georgina’s untimely labour. Molly, who cannot legally deliver her baby, becomes the stand-in birthing partner, as Georgina’s husband is otherwise indisposed. It's touching, and the exchange feels natural thanks to both actors’ fantastic chemistry on stage.
In addition to this, the present day story is interrupted by vignettes which take us back in time through the history of midwifery. It’s in these moments that the play ventures slightly into the ridiculous, but it’s not unwelcome.
We get multi-rolling, accents, super quick costume changes, and even syringes doubling as tobacco pipes smoked by Cornish barbers (who convince themselves they have all the skills to deliver a baby). It’s effortlessly funny, and it's enhanced by brief moments of audience interaction.
Back in the present day, the hospital is understaffed, and Georgina begs Molly to deliver her baby. They distract themselves with anecdotes from A-levels, and who’s dating who, and then why their friendship ended. Georgina tells Molly she wants to write a book on midwifery. It’s a charming moment, as the audience take into consideration the idea that this piece of theatre is that book.
I think Baby Steps’ biggest strength is the two performers who bring it to life. Adela Hernandez Derbyshire and Charlie Culley are an absolute joy to watch; you can’t help but fall in love with both characters and root for their friendship.
Performing as part of the Bitesize festival, Baby Steps runs until the 28th August. I just hope there’s further life for this show, as it deserves to be seen by so many people.
★★★★★
Written by Sarah for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
