Wasted at Etcetera Theatre (via video) Review
Wasted by Kae Tempest has been bought to life by new theatre company, Workhouse Productions at The Etcetera Theatre. Slick and well-rehearsed, with the company not shying away from the title, Wasted, in all senses of the word.
Wasted follows three friends in their mid 20s after the death of one of their close friends, Tony. Each of the three characters is at a crossroads in their life, chasing after their dream of being a musician, trying to reconnect with the person they love, escape the day job they’ve become disenfranchised from, or settle with the life they have and the choices they have made to get them this far. Their friend, Tony, is ever present in the play - as characters have moments of baring their soul to his memory. But this presence creates a hopeless misery which blankets the three friends as they each attempt to create a happier life for themselves.
Unfortunately, I was unable to make the live performances of the show so am reviewing after watching a recording of one of the shows. However, the quality of production shines through the screen. The set is realistic and elaborate, designed by Anna Cecilia, and is well utilised by the actors. A whole wall towards the back of the stage, a sofa, table and chairs, was used effectively to highlight the mundanity of the characters’ everyday lives. The sound design (Ryan Nicholas & Oscar Mangini) was excellent, with most scenes underscored by background music to help denote place - in a pub, or at a party, and the mesmeric atmosphere created in the poetic interludes. The lighting (Mimi Browne) and projection (Leila Ufer, Emily Rodrigues, and Freddie Farrell) was also very well executed to immerse the audience, and characters, into the rave, or the park for example. The projections at the end were very effective and gave the piece a much-needed sense of hope after a play which is quite heavy on suffering. I would have liked more use of projections, perhaps in the poetic interludes, to add to the dreamscape sense of these moments.
The cast was wonderful and worked slickly together. Charlotte, played by Caitlin Florence-Rose was bright and nuanced with a wonderful sense of rhythm, we could see all of Charlotte’s inner conflict in Florence-Rose’s depiction. Danny, portrayed by Eman Dare, was calm and contained in his existentialism which contrasted well to the anxious energy provided by Freddie Farrell, playing Ted. Farrell was excellent as Ted, giving him a wonderful arc as a tragic character. By the end we really feel his sense of suffering, perhaps more than the other characters, despite them all having their own journeys of self-discovery and precipice. Farrell really allows the audience into his character’s world, even the parts we feel we shouldn’t see - he was highly watchable throughout.
The poetic interludes were extremely successful and probably my favourite stylistic choice from director, Emily Rodrigues. In these direct addresses, fourth wall breaking moments, we see the three actors become themselves and speak via microphones to the audience and each other. The direction here is tight, each line overlapping perfectly, and each actor working delightfully in sync with each other. These moments were truly hypnotic and captured the current relevance and energy of the play - making sure the audience come away with a sense of hope despite the characters’ overwhelming ennui.
Although Wasted was written in 2013, the play is extremely relevant and hit many themes which resonate today. The challenges faced by young people as they come up against an increasingly difficult world - struggles to get on the property ladder, to find a job which fulfils them, or just to make meaningful connections - this play feels immediate. A great choice from new company, Workhouse Productions, produced by Freddie Farrell, to begin a very promising step into the fringe theatre scene.
Although this run of Wasted at the Etcetera Theatre (19th and 20th September 2026) has now concluded, I am very excited to keep an eye on Workhouse Productions and where they go next. I feel a promising future is in store for these creatives who have made an extremely successful and exciting debut with Wasted
★★★★
Written by Eloise for Theatre and Tonic, September 2026.