Schrödinger's Lesbians at The Cockpit Theatre, London
Erwin Schrödinger once asked, “If two lesbians f*ck and no one records it, did it happen?” Well, not technically… but that is exactly what the cast of Schrödinger’s Lesbians are asking at the Cockpit Theatre.
Charlotte Boyle, Ruby Blue Tansey-Thomas, and Libby Boyd complete the small, but effective cast of this play. Set on the island of Lesbos in the time of the Ancient Greeks, we follow Sappho on her journey of rediscovery after heartbreak. And yes, it is as joyously queer as you’d want it to be.
Charlotte Boyle is radiant as the legendary poet Sappho, who proves to be a bit of a disaster lesbian. She opens the play, addressing the audience, asking ‘where have the lesbians gone?’ or, in other words, how have they ended up airbrushed from history?
It’s enticing, snappy, and teeters just on the edge of being cringe. The same can be said for the writing throughout. References to Love Island, Queer Culture and ‘they were just really close friends’, are funny, and proof that this cast certainly know their audience well.
The staging is simple but in this case, less is more. The transitions between scenes sometimes feel a bit awkward, but are cushioned by the musical soundtrack (featuring queer artist Frances Forever).
Ruby Blue Tansey-Thomas plays Anactoria, another Ancient Greek Lesbian (though this time lost to history) who can't quite work out how to tell Sappho she is madly in love with her. Her portrayal is relatable and vulnerable, and she does an excellent job of carrying the emotional heart of the play. Libby Boyd plays Atthis, Sappho’s love-bombing ex, who is captivating in every scene.
Though the piece is set over two thousand years ago, it can't help but feel timeless. So much so that, for an hour or so, you forget that you’re watching Ancient Greek lesbians but instead modern-day couples with modern-day struggles.
It’s representation like this that is severely lacking in theatre today. With over 40 shows running in the West End right now, not a single one features a Sapphic relationship. (The last I can think of being Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which closed after a fairly short run.) Fringe is the backbone of Queer theatre, telling stories that would otherwise be left untold. This bears a striking similarity to the eradication of Sappho’s works; which were contemporaneously considered to be equivalent of Homer’s. Over her life, she wrote nine anthologies worth, of which only one poem remains in full.
At the end of the play, we re-meet Sappho and Anactoria - though now in the present day and with different names. They connect over their love of astronomy and quote Sappho’s poetry, grateful for her as representation in a world with still so little.
Playing a limited run at the Cockpit Theatre, this show was a radiant reminder of how fringe theatre is still the central hub of queer creativity.
Schrödinger's Lesbians played at The Cockpit on 8 August.
★★★★
Written by Sarah for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
