Writer and Director: Jazz Summer
WILT is the debut play by Bristol-based SEGMENTs Company, a team of seven young professionals sharing a joint passion for movement and creating new theatre. Director and Writer Jazz Summer created WILT based on personal experiences of loss and has created a play that is a labour of love, three and a half years in the making.
Marking its London debut as part of the wonderful Camden Fringe, the Bridewell Theatre is a larger space than the group has previously performed in, yet it did not detract from the play’s intimacy, and instead has allowed them room to grow and explore the boundaries of the script.
WILT follows the relationship between a young couple, Nadia and Elliot, following the loss of Nadia’s father. We drop in on different moments across time following his death and watch as the couple navigate their relationship amidst dealing with the loss.
The opening scene displays the couple at their strongest, immediately returning home after the funeral. Despite being sad, it is obvious how in love and happy they are together. Their relationship is every bit the picture of young love; playful and innocent. They’re a strong duo and it’s evident how much they’ve already been there for one another. The scene is confident and comfortable, and introduces the two very clearly.
With each scene, Nadia’s grief deepens, and we see cracks begin to form between the couple. The exploration of grief and its different stages are so well expressed and understood, it feels incredibly relatable and honest from start to finish. Very quickly Nadia drops into the depths of depression, and while we assume her grief is the main tragedy of the play; we also see the grief Elliot is experiencing – not only for the loss of his father-in -law, but his relationship with Nadia.
Joe Northstone is a total powerhouse as Elliot, his performance feels incredibly raw and moving. Starting as very assured, Northstone’s tragic portrayal of Elliot’s grief not only captures the pain he feels to lose his love to her grief, but also his personal anguish trying to remain strong amid all the hurt.
India Erlam beautifully matches Northstone’s performance, journeying through the stages of grief masterfully. Her performance is confident and effortless – it is easy to recognise the different stages of grief without it feeling overly forced, it is just raw emotion, and is a credit to Erlam’s talent. It is a pleasure to experience such impressive performances from both, whilst so early on in their careers.
Thomas Smith’s sound design, paired with Zena Ahmed’s original music and Billy Van Sanden’s playing are beautiful additions to the play. Adding warmth to the start of the play, yet sorrow to the ending, it is a wonderful cyclical closure to the experience of the performance.
WILT is an incredibly impressive work, one which is deeply complex yet still coherent and slick. Noted in the programme that grief is a universal experience, WILT truly enables everyone to relate to the show in their own way, and creates a comfortable space to relate and understand grief.
Runs until 19 August 2025 and continues to tour
Camden Fringe runs until 24 August 2025
