Shelter at Barons Court Theatre Review
Written by Eleanor for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Shelter contains some content that may be triggering. More information can be found on the Barons Court Theatre website: Shelter by Julia Finn | Barons Court Theatre
Shelter follows the difficult plight of Ross (Annie Haworth) and Jess (Mal Owen). The couple visited a relative in good faith but now find themselves trapped in an underground bunker. They struggle with limited resources, an increasingly tense relationship and a monster pacing outside the door, clawing to get in. As they face their never-ending confinement, not knowing when one day starts and another ends, they look back at what life was like before and look ahead to their possible future.
Written by Julia Finn, a lesbian and trans woman, this play explores the dynamic within an LGBTQ+ relationship and how isolation and stress can cause impact in the most negative ways. It invites the audience to not only look at these two characters, but also at the outside world and wider prejudices ever present in society.
Barons Court Theatre is the perfect setting for this play, with the atmosphere of the space itself only adding to the tone of the piece.
It is the relationship between Ross and Jess which drives the narrative. Both actors were able to realistically portray varying outbursts of anger and frustration while maintaining their close bond. The balance between these more dramatic scenes and those which were quieter and comforting is a particular strength of Finn’s writing. Jess’ character had depth and layers which were stripped back throughout the play, with the relationship with her brother and how this evolved really keeping my attention. However, this focus came at the cost of exploring Ross's character more fully, leaving questions about her background and how her current state connects to her past life outside the bunker.
The impact of Shelter was increased by the simple, but very effective, sound and lighting design from Dan Sinclair and Maddy Whitby. The way light is used to progress the story and impact the pair's emotional state was dramatic, and the use of sound to evoke the monster maintained the sense of impending doom. I particularly liked the soundbite used to start the show, as this instantly conveyed the emotions we would see throughout the play.
In contrast, I found the ending of the show somewhat weak. While it does provide a resolution that still leaves room for questions, the plot devices used to reach this point felt unconvincing.
Despite this, Shelter is a thought-provoking play. Both the performances and the design were strong, making this an immersive discussion of isolation and identity.
Shelter is playing at Barons Court Theatre from the 20th May – 25th May 2025.
★★★
