You’ve Gone Quiet at Jack Studio Theatre Review
Written by Penny for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
You’ve Gone Quiet by Cerys Duffy (she/her), and presented by Open Handed Theatre, shines a light on the life of a trans woman in 2026, fighting against a world that pushes her to the margins — and into silence.
Tara asks her close friend Beth to help her get pregnant. Her partner, Ian, is “firing blanks” and as Beth has not yet fully transitioned, Tara thinks she is the answer to her problem. When Beth writes an article about the experience, it has repercussions that impact the two women and the people around them.
In the wrong hands this story could come across as sensationalist or preachy but Duffy has crafted a play that is accessible and respectful, skilfully navigating the lived experience of trans women, the well-meaning but sometimes misguided support from allies and the lack of understanding from large swathes of society.
The writing is excellent – in the first act, a series of short scenes establish the characters and the story. The use of a “second person” narrative style, in which the audience becomes a character and is directly addressed, very effectively draws us into this world and making it feel like a personal experience rather than simply watching somebody else’s story. The characters are all slightly larger than life in this first act, shining a little brighter than ordinary people in their interactions and declarations. But this does not make them any less relatable – they feel both exaggerated and very real all at once, a device that helps to get the play’s points and message across in a very simple but effective way.
The second act offers a more traditional dramatic performance – the characters’ interactions are very natural, conflict is jarring and as the tension builds, emotions run high.
We see the whole range of attitudes towards trans people, written and performed with absolute honesty about the prejudice and challenges that make it extremely difficult to just live an ordinary life. The play also touches on toxic masculinity and the curse of living in the modern age – the ability of social media to spread misinformation and blow a situation out of all proportion. But as well as addressing all of these issues, the script is also peppered with humour, some of it coarse and very funny, that makes the characters fully rounded and very human.
Director Andy McLeod (he/him) has done an excellent job bringing this great script to life on stage. The very simple set has screens set at the back of the stage, and a table and chairs to represent the various short scenes. Scene changes are expertly choreographed, with lower lighting and a strong music track as accompaniment, with the five actors moving furniture about, striking a pose as they do so and then quickly moving on. It’s expressive and interesting and keeps the energy and the pace at just the right level.
The cast is very strong – portraying a range of diverse characters. It’s difficult to talk about individual actors without sharing spoilers, so suffice to say that Gennifer Becouran (she/her), Shane Convery (they/them), Oliver Redpath (he/him), Matt Roberts (he/him), Sophia Vi (she/her) and Matt Vickery (he/him) all give considered and powerful performances, clearly showing their characters’ struggles, prejudices and challenges.
In modern Britain, it seems that the rights of trans people are under threat more than ever before. As Duffy writes in her programme notes, trans people have been thrown completely under the bus with the recent Supreme Court ruling and EHRC guidance on who can use public spaces – amplified by high-profile voices demonising the community. She expresses a hope that people will leave the play seeing things from somebody else’s perspective. She has certainly achieved this. You’ve Gone Quiet is as thought provoking as it is entertaining and should be required viewing for anybody who has empathy for their fellow humans, and even more so for those loud and dissenting voices. It’s an impressive and important piece of theatre. Go and see it.
You’ve Gone Quiet runs at the Jack Studio Theatre until Saturday 6th June 2026.
★★★★★