Speak of the Devil at Hope Theatre, London Review
A delayed train, a group of strangers, and a series of unsettling revelations: Speak of the Devil, written and directed by Elise Simond, has all the ingredients for an engaging theatrical experience. Set aboard a train travelling to Penzance, the play brings together five passengers and a ticket inspector, exchanging stories while stranded and waiting for an update. It’s an intriguing premise, with the potential to combine dark comedy, mystery and an investigation on human connection.
Unfortunately, the execution falls considerably short of what the concept promises. From the outset, the characters react to a brief delay and a lack of signal with a level of alarm that feels disproportionate to the situation. This sets the tone for a production in which almost every exchange seems designed to carry dramatic weight, regardless of whether the material warrants it. The result is a series of predictable revelations that struggle to generate either genuine suspense or much emotional investment.
The writing is the most significant weakness. Speak of the Devil often feels less like a cohesive play than a collection of monologues connected by functional, and sometimes forced, dialogue. Characters repeatedly launch into personal tales with little prompting or apparent relevance to the conversation at hand, as though the need to deliver the next “big” moment takes precedence over making the interactions believable. Scenes are framed with considerable gravity, but rarely earn it. The characters remain thinly drawn, and the transitions between stories do little to establish a convincing rhythm or build momentum.
The direction and acting only heighten these problems. The pacing is problematic: scenes drag, the narrative struggles to develop organically, and the intended comedic moments elicited little response from the audience. The performances are frequently exaggerated to the point of caricature, with emphatic delivery standing in for character development. This excess of theatricality feels at odds with the setting; in such an intimate venue, the production needs to be especially mindful of how its choices register at close quarters.
Ultimately, Speak of the Devil has a thrilling premise but lacks the dramaturgical force needed to bring it to life properly. In its current form, the show is difficult to engage with, and its potential remains largely unrealised; in my opinion, it would require a more coherent structure, better-developed characters and a far more considered approach to tone and pacing.
Speak of the Devil is playing at the Hope Theatre until the 24th of October
★
Written by Greta for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.
