The Flea, Yard Theatre London Review
Breffni Holahan (Queen Victoria) in The Flea at The Yard Theatre. Photo by Marc Brenner
Reviewed by Bronagh for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: flashing lights, herbal cigarettes, strong and derogatory language, asphyxiation, references to death, dying, sex, mental health and suicide.
We’re in London and the year is 1889. London, particularly London women, are still reeling from the Ripper murders the year before. We meet Emily Swinscow, a seamstress with a husband that she loves dearly and a son, Charlie who works as a telegraph boy. Emily and Charlie’s lives are turned upside down when Mr Swinscow dies at work, struggling even more for money. One night Charlie comes home with 14 shillings which he hasn’t stolen, instead acquired in a secret second job… a second job that pays very well, and one that threatens to derail the monarchy. The Flea returns to the Yard Theatre for it’s second run, a run that is not to be missed.
The Flea is wonderfully surreal, dramatic and overall great fun. Naomi Kuyck-Cohen’s set is Alice in Wodnerland-esque with ridiculously tall chairs and tiny couches, the colour rich. The characters are flamboyant and fabulously dressed throughout, certainly caricatures but also horribly believable at times, particularly the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. The opening scene is entirely over the top, with a pantomime horse kicking Mr Swinscow in the head. This absolutely sets the tone for the rest of the show, and I found myself hooked.
The whole cast played their parts brilliantly, particularly Breffni Holahan as Emily Swinscow and Queen Victoria. The two characters couldn’t be any more different, Emily being an extremely worried mother choosing between saving her mum or her home and Victoria being portrayed as a very uncaring royal only concerned about saving face. Although a smaller character I also enjoyed Will Bliss’ Hammond, a brothel keeper with a touch of Withnail and I’s Danny about him. The Prince of Wales (Tomás Azocar-Nevin) with his garish smear of red lipstick and Stefan Rice’s ludicrously cartoonish Arthur Somerset were also crowd pleasers, generating lots of laughs.
The story behind The Flea is one that remarkably could easily be from the modern day. The themes of sexuality and power are ones that I’ve seen in some very modern plays, not to mention Royal scandals that have borderline being hush hush-ed. Several lines that were dropped in felt like they were in relation to modern times; The Flea is the perfect example of old world meets new world and in my opinion it really works, hitting a sweet spot in my theatre-going brain.
Act 1 is very quick paced, with Act 2 being slightly slower and starting with the introduction of the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria is up a height, almost hawk-like in her mannerisms, and after giving her son an ear bashing has a conversation with God. This was the one aspect of the show that I worried would end up cheapening the entire production, it was actually done in a very fun way, just like the rest of the production, including film clips of modern day Queen Victorias must to The Flea’s Victoria’s glee.
LAMBDOG1066’s costume design was a firm favourite of mine. They were very New Romantic, very Vivienne Westwood esque which fitted the show and time perfectly.
I can safely say The Flea will 100% be a contender for my favourite show of 2024. The absolute scandal of the entire production and story had me hooked, and very happy The Flea returned for a second ‘bite’ at Yard Theatre.
At the Yard Theatre until 30th November 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
