Written by Eleanor V for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

This new play by Rea Dennhardt Patel raises the question of what is a life well lived? As an elderly wife purchases a pill which will reduce her physical age, and encourages her husband to take it also, she is given the option to live life again, but at what cost? This work is well paced and heartfelt with witty and relatable dialogue, taking me on a journey with this couple which left me satisfied and reflective.

The Undying is playing as part of the Soho Rising Festival where new works from rising stars are being platformed throughout February 2026.

Rea Dennhardt Patel’s text is fast paced but contains a lot of content, creating fleshed out characters and a story with numerous twists and turns. The clever writing brilliant portrays this same relationship at different stages and captures what each character is looking for at different stages within their life. I particularly enjoyed the focus on the choices Amba has to make. Through seeing both her and Prav live their new future we find out more about their past, leading to surprising revelations and an ending I did not expect.

The central characters of Prav and Amba, played excellently by Akaash Dev Shemar and Vaishnavi Suryaprakash, are believably portrayed. A lot of the dialogue is argumentative, but I came to really feel for them both and understand their viewpoints. Both actors articulated their changing years really well through their physicality and embody their characters throughout.

One of the key strengths of The Undying, for me, was the number of different concepts raised. Each topic, such as gender equality, societal expectations and memory, are varied but are also discussed with enough depth. I particularly resonated with the ideas of trying to thrive, not just survive, while navigating adult life and how precious time is.

To elevate the text, live music is performed on stage to add impact. This works well, particularly during scene changes and the transformative moments. I really appreciated this extra element. I also liked the use of screens to represent the couple’s memories but did think this could be utilised more to reflect the new memories being made. I also thought that the static set allowed the actors to always draw the main focus, with emphasis on one specific prop working well, but potentially more changes could have been made during the scene changes to reflect their evolving lives.

Overall, The Undying is a witty and thought-provoking new play, elevated by the strong performances of Vaishnavi Suryaprakash and Akaash Dev Shemar. Rea Dennhardt Patel’s text is both entertaining and reflective, leaving a lasting impact even after I left the theatre.

The Undying is playing at Soho Theatre from 9th February 2026 – 10th February 2026

★★★★

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