London Zoo at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London reviewed by Frost Magazine’s Drama Critic Paul Vates

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“There is a plot twist that made the audience sit up and pay attention”

Set at the turn of the Millennium, London Zoo is about the prejudices that exist in the workplace – focussing here in the press and newspaper world, covering editorial and company acquisition. If that sounds a little boring – it is! It’s about the figures and the manipulation of those figures to impress the board, who’s in and who’s out, who’s being fired and who is doing the firing… blah blah blah.

[Anirban Roy, Dan Saski, Simon Furness, Harris Vaughan and Natalie Lauren]

What life there is springs up when characters suddenly outrage us with their views of the world. Sexism and racism keep raising their ugly heads. There’s bullying and entitlement, too, thrown in for good measure. It’s all here on show for us to dislike.

[Simon Furness and Harris Vaughan]

Farine Clarke has written and directed a play that somehow feels a little dated. Unsure within itself whether to portray the unlikeable characters as grotesques in a dated world and go for laughs, or to play for the reality of it all which runs the risk of tedium – do we care enough about any of these people? It’s a fine line to tread and I’m not sure she knows but as it is London Zoo can’t be both.

[Odimegwu Okoye]

There is a plot twist that made the audience sit up and pay attention. Everyone left the theatre buzzing, which is an amazing feat for any production to achieve. There is a lot to talk about from London Zoo, but I’m not quite sure it’s what Farine Clarke wanted or expected…

Photography Lidia Crisafulli

Writer/Director Farine Clarke

Special Advisor Linda Marlowe

Designer Rebecca Pitt Designs

Running Time 90 minutes – which includes a 15-minute interval

Age Restrictions 12+

Dates until Saturday 30th March 2024. Check with the theatre for show times

Venue Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London

SE1 6BD

Box Office https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/london-zoo

Instagram @unequalproductions @swkplay

Facebook @UnEqualProductionsLtd @SouthwarkPlayhouse

Twitter @UnequalProduct1 @swkplay

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