King of Pangea at King’s Head Theatre Review

Written by Philip for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

---

Pangea, the ancient land mass, existed hundreds of millions of years ago but Pangea, the mystically island, only exists in young Sam Crow’s mind. Dreamt up with his mother Celia when coping with her cancer diagnosis. 

Martin Storrow’s ‘King of Pangea’, tells a tale of loss and love and ultimately overcoming grief. We follow Sam as he and his parents, Arthur and Celia, deal with Celia’s cancer journey. From diagnosis to remission and return, and ultimately losing her battle. Sam is struggling to cope but finds a map he drew long ago and retreats to a mystic land. He faces trials and tribulations to reach Pangea and to become King, meeting fabled characters along the way like Elijah, a Prophet - that is, A prophet, not THE prophet, all in the hope of seeing his mother again. It’s a moving story and interestingly deals with grief; however, the pacing is incredibly uneven. 

Musically, ‘King of Pangea’ enjoys many a pretty ballad and has a stand out comedy number in the form of Mark Curry’s first song, but that aside, nothing lingers in the mind. The story also feels unfinished and in some ways unresolved, with plot points touched upon and never spoken of again, such as the conditions around the magic coins or why Sam’s relationship with his girlfriend Amy ends as it does. I also find the time within the magical land feels too short. It might benefit from adding more and splitting the show into two acts. Adding more trepidation and conflict on the journey to Pangea and on the island itself, which mirrors issues Sam is dealing with in real life. The does occur throughout the show, but I feel like it is all over too quickly. I’m also not entirely sold on the idea that Sam breaks out of imagination back into reality occasionally, with a moment in which Sam confronts his dad being the most obvious moment. It feels like a slight disservice to the audience by having to spell it out rather than let the audience grasp the idea from the action. 

The cast were all exceptional. As a professional debut, Alfie Blackwell smashed it out of the park as Sam. He was raw and captivating. Sophia Ragavelas and Dan Burton were brilliant as doting parents Celia and Arthur. Full of so much heart and warmth. Mark Curry was hilarious as Elijah. A real spirit guide. He exudes kindness and wisdom. Not to mention just how standout his numbers were. Emily Tang gave a lovely performance, especially as Maya. Bright and full of wonder. 

Although I may appear like I didn’t like this show, I did. It was sweet and charming and I love the central message and the themes it tries to convey - I just wish the execution was a little cleaner. It feels like the story is just missing a couple of pieces of the puzzle.

King of Pangea is playing at King’s Head Theatre until 6th July.

★★★