Behind Closed Doors at Hill Street Theatre Review
Behind Closed Doors is a powerful piece of theatre, driven by two brilliant performances from Corey Muizelaar and Ben Robert Cunningham. What gives the piece an added depth is knowing that this isn’t simply a story written for the stage but one that is based on a true period in Muizelaar’s own life.
Muizelaar plays Jude opposite Cunningham as Charlie in this intense two-hander, tackling some incredibly difficult subjects along the way. It is a story with a lot to say, but it never loses sight of the two people at its centre.
The biggest strength of Behind Closed Doors is undoubtedly its two performers.
Muizelaar and Cunningham work brilliantly together. There is a real naturalness between them that makes the relationship completely believable.
Muizelaar is excellent as Jude. He gives a beautifully measured performance, finding both the vulnerability and intensity within the character without ever overplaying either. Some of his strongest work comes in the quieter moments, where a look, a pause or a small change in his delivery can say as much as the dialogue itself.
Cunningham is every bit as strong as Charlie and is an incredibly watchable performer. There is a presence to him on stage that naturally draws your attention, and he moves convincingly between anger, frustration, tenderness and vulnerability. He and Muizelaar are extremely well matched, and the chemistry between them is a huge part of why the piece works as well as it does.
If there is one area that could perhaps benefit from a little more refinement, it is some of the stage combat. In a production where so much feels incredibly natural, there are moments during the physical confrontations where the choreography becomes slightly more visible than you would want it to be. A little more looseness in those sequences would help them match the realism of the performances surrounding them.
It is a relatively minor point, though, and certainly not one that takes much away from the production. Cunningham and Muizelaar are so convincing that even if a physical moment briefly reminds you that you’re watching a performance, they have you completely drawn back in almost immediately.
There is something hugely admirable about Muizelaar taking such a difficult period of his own life and turning it into theatre, particularly when the story shines a light on subjects that aren’t always easy to talk about. But Behind Closed Doors doesn’t deserve praise simply because it is true or because it is personal. It deserves praise because it is genuinely a very good piece of theatre, led by two excellent performances.
With just a little refinement to the physical sequences, the production could be even stronger. However, Behind Closed Doors is an impressive, incredibly well-acted piece of theatre and one well worth seeking out.
Behind Closed Doors plays at Alba Theatre at Braw Venues @ Hill Street until 29 August
★★★★
Written by Liam for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
