Goodbye at Brixton House Review
Credit: Little Socialite
Brixton House presents their ‘Housemates Festival’, showcasing new work by seven writers over the month of September. ‘Goodbye’ is one of those plays and tells the story of William Holloway, who has arrived at London’s first ever assisted suicide clinic, after multiple attempts to end his own life have failed. You might think this to be a morbid premise for a play, but it’s surprisingly funny, whilst being sensitive to the subject matter.
We learn that William has been struggling and no longer wants to be alive. Upon arrival at the suicide clinic, William meets the Receptionist, Vivi, played by Mónica Lopera. Her vibrant, fun personality adds immediate colour to an otherwise bleak premise. William visits the clinic on multiple occasions during the early scenes of the production, only to find his paperwork rejected each time. Upon learning he must have a witness present during the assisted suicide process, he strikes a deal with Vivi. If he goes on a date with her, she will be his witness. Surely this would put her job at risk? Nevertheless, there’s something about William that draws Vivi in and they do seem to have a connection from the start.
At first, William appears unsure, but it soon becomes clear that they are building a connection that’s more than just receptionist and client, and they end up going on a few different dates. At one point the pair are laughing together, with William stating he hasn’t laughed like that in ages. That being said, William and Vivi bond over discussing hardships they’ve both faced in their lives, with William’s underlying sadness present throughout.
For this particular performance, William was played by Director Miguel Torres Umba, due to the sudden illness of Samuel Anderson. iPad in hand, it turns out he barely needs to refer to the script, clearly knowing the play inside out. He confidently takes us on William’s journey and the character’s vulnerability is consistently felt. An impressive performance given the circumstances. Mónica Lopera brings the right amount of comedy and sensitivity to the role of Vivi, making us laugh one minute, and feel moved the next. The two performers work well together and have good chemistry.
Is this unexpected bond enough to convince William to keep on living? I hope more people get the chance to find out the answer to this question, as ‘Goodbye’ definitely deserves to be shared more widely, after its short run at Brixton House comes to an end.
Goodbye plays at Brixton House until 19th September
★★★★
Written by Emily for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.
Content warnings: References to suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm, grief, depression and infant death
