Lost Atoms: Frantic Assembly Review

Written by Katie for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

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When Frantic Assembly puts on a show, you know you are not about to sit through a standard play. Their latest production, Lost Atoms, written by Anna Jordan, is no exception.

This intimate two-hander follows Jess (Hannah Sinclair Robinson) and Robbie (Joe Layton) through their shared love story, or rather, the slightly different versions of it each remembers. What unfolds is a rollercoaster of soaring highs and devastating lows, rooted in the utterly truthful and deeply poetic terrain of real love. At its heart, the play is about memory: how it shapes, distorts, and impacts the relationships we hold most dearly.

Jordan’s writing is strikingly honest. Each character’s recollections are shaped by where they stand in relation to the story at that time. Occasionally, we “glitch” into a liminal space of what Jordan herself describes as a “no man’s land”, where the characters are simultaneously inside their own memories and aware of the other watching them. It is a clever, haunting device that lends the piece its emotional depth.

Visually, the production is extraordinary. Andrzej Goulding’s set is nothing short of masterful; a vast backdrop of cabinet drawers that transforms into a climbing frame, treasure chest, and playground all in one. With maybe over a hundred drawers in constant use, pulled open for props, scaled like steps, or swung from as a makeshift apparatus, it becomes a living, breathing presence. What is remarkable is Frantic Assembly’s relentless inventiveness- just when you think they’ve exhausted the possibilities, they surprise you with yet another transformation. The set becomes a third character, as dynamic and expressive as the performers themselves.

The show is clearly seamlessly rehearsed, and the physicality delivered with a precision that borders on daring. Rarely do the actors glance down at their footing, despite scaling the set at impossible angles. 

Under Scott Graham’s direction, movement and emotion are fused. Emotion is in our bodies, not just in our words, so it's so right that we are able to see this so visually and find the poetry of this human connection in a much more visceral way. My favourite moments, however, were the charming, relatable sequences that we all saw ourselves in: dinner with the in-laws, and a restless night in bed. But they're done so uniquely and with a quirkiness that you just can't help enjoying, with a physicality that is quintessentially Frantic Assembly.

Yet, for all its brilliance, the production isn’t flawless. The acting style occasionally works against the intimacy of the piece. In its quieter moments, the performances often felt too projected, as though the actors were hyper-aware of the audience. Scenes that begged for softness and subtlety were delivered at full volume, and as a result, some of the most gut-wrenching moments just lost their sincerity. The vocal intensity rarely dropped below a ten, when a two would have carried far greater impact.

Still, Lost Atoms is a deeply moving, visually stunning exploration of love, memory, and the fragility of human connection. With breathtaking design, innovative movement, and an unflinching honesty at its core, it reminds us that even the most intimate stories can feel epic when told with this much imagination.

Lost Atoms is touring until Saturday 28th Feb 2026.

★★★★