Persona – Kings Head Theatre, London

Writer: Max Allen

Director: Olivia Woods

Privileged, posh and pretentious, this boarding school reunion, brought about after the death of a friend, should be a celebration of his life and a chance for them to connect over their shared grief. Instead, their focus is on the will and just how much exactly they’re entitled to inherit.

James (Max Allen) is the will’s executor and host of the evening at his lavish country home. Lamb is slow-cooking in the oven, and expensive wine is available in abundance, ready to welcome his old friends. Rupert (Cameron Forrest) is the wealthiest of the lot and is more than happy to remind them of the fact. Geoffrey (Elliott Diner) is, by contrast, the poorest, but his vast collection of classic artwork means he’s nowhere near the poverty line. Gemma (Polly Towers) is the only female of the group, unexpectedly part of the boys’ club-style alumni, but just as manipulative and powerful as the others. Will they be able to reach a civil agreement on the split of the trust inheritance, or will their greed overpower them and derail the evening altogether?

Allen has crafted his characters extremely well, with the believable boarding school buddies all portraying an enjoyably exaggerated caricature of upper-class privilege. The storyline is relatively straightforward and somewhat predictable, with the focus less on the narrative as such and more on the charged conversations and clashing personalities between the four. The cast equally does a great job of embodying the personas of each character and painting the picture of wealth and status. Their interactions are loaded and tense, constantly balancing their power and ego, impressively ensuring the faux-niceness is portrayed just as clearly as their true thoughts and intentions.

As the show progresses, the dialogue occasionally becomes a little repetitive, the same arguments and grievances circling back on themselves, with no real change to the narrative or characters’ situations. Additionally, sometimes the characters’ reactions are slightly inconsistent; some big moments elicit surprisingly muted responses, while other seemingly throwaway comments provoke reactions that seem disproportionately dramatic. The final scenes are unexpectedly low-key, with quite an uneventful culmination, in comparison to the loud, fizzling tension that builds up throughout the 70-minute runtime.

These small flags are minor flaws that can easily be polished up and strengthened with any possible future iterations. The production as a whole is engaging, enjoyable and full of energy.

Runs until 30 June 2026