Paradok Platform: Unwelcome
★★★☆☆ Intimate
Bedlam Theatre (Venue 49): Tue 12 – Fri 15 Aug 2025
Review by Salvador Kent
Brooke Jessop’s new play Unwelcome at the Bedlam as part of Paradok Platform’s new writing initiative is a textured, immersive work drawing the relationships of a young gay man in 1980s London, against the backdrop of Section 28.
Directed by Jessop herself, the play is undoubtedly naturalistic in form — and its depiction of British class issues, the north-south divide and the personal consequences of Thatcherite politics make the play comparable to the kitchen sink tradition pioneered by John Osborne, Edward Bond and translated to cinema in the 80s by the likes of Mike Leigh.
Sam Mackinnon. Pic Unwelcome.
Set in 1980s London, Jessop’s play concerns Andrew, a Northern gay man living with his Southern boyfriend Julian. While Julian is at work, a surprise visit from Andrew’s sister, Tracy – who calls him Andy – begins to unravel a series of uncomfortable revelations, and reflections on class, identity, and the characters’ socio-political positions in 80s Britain.
Jessop has a strong understanding of the subtleties required, and the three characters are written and directed truthfully. Sam Mackinnon is a tortured Andrew, switching between accents and names dependent on who he’s addressing.
gloriously campy
A gloriously campy Eric Parker is a foppish Julian – posh, southern but loving to Andrew despite revelations throughout the play. Meg Crutchley’s Tracy is the best performance — she is an actor with a great understanding of the naturalistic form – and each of her actions feel truthful to the situation, paced perfectly to be realistic.
The Bedlam stage is minimally but tastefully furnished by Tala Davidson. Sophie Bendon provides subtle but visually pleasing tech management, and Luke Hardwick’s sound mix fits the venue well.
Meg Crutchley and Sam Mackinnon. Pic: Unwelcome
Sometimes, the text feels derivative of works in this form that came before. Not necessarily to its detriment as a coherent whole, but perhaps detrimental to its freshness. Often dramatic situations feel contrived, and clearly exist to move the plot forward, rather than emerge as a natural turn of events.
A moment where Andrew conveniently goes to the shop just as Julian returns from work feels far too much like a plot point constructed to allow Tracy and Julian to meet without Andrew present. While writing in a form where even the smallest action invites scrutiny, such functional beats make a thematically dense work feel too predictable.
great tunes
Other moments, such as repeated dance scenes (to admittedly great tunes) seem too obviously placed to fill voids of silence rather than earned through fully truthful character choices.
Meg Crutchley and Sam Mackinnon. Pic: Unwelcome.
But at its best, Unwelcome is immersive, intimate work. Its evocation of its period raises prescient parallels with our country, currently in an identity crisis. Issues of sexuality, gender and especially class are raised with integrity, and the text is ultimately warmly hopeful, despite its quietly ambiguous ending.
This is a great start to Paradok Platform’s Fringe season, which will next boast two other original pieces of writing.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
Bedlam Theatre, 11b Bristo Place EH1 1EZ (Venue 49).
Tuesday 12 – Friday 15 August 2025.
Daily: 12.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here on EdFringe.com.
Bedlam Fringe website: www.bedlamfringe.co.uk
Unwelcome show Instagram: @unwelcome.fringe
Paradok website: theatreparadok.com
Facebook: @theatreparadok
Instagram: @theatreparadok
Linktree: @paradoksocials
X: @theatreparadok
Meg Crutchley, Sam Mackinnon and Eric Parker. Pic: Unwelcome.
ENDS
