Review: FLYBY, Southwark Playhouse Borough

Photo credit: Alex Brenner

In the intimate confines of Southwark Playhouse Borough, the world premiere of Flyby arrives not with a whimper, but with a calculated, celestial bang. This psychological sci-fi drama is a rare beast in the landscape of contemporary musical theatre: it is unapologetically intellectual, intentionally elusive, and profoundly disinterested in the ‘jazz hands’ tradition.

The narrative focuses on a pair of frighteningly overachieving protagonists: Daniel Defoe (Stuart Thompson), an astronaut, and Emily Baker (Poppy Gilbert), a documentary filmmaker. Their professions suggest a quest for external truth - the vastness of space versus the focus of the lens - yet the show’s true trajectory is inward. Thompson and Gilbert deliver deft, nuanced performances, navigating the psychological tolls of loneliness, shame, and childhood neglect with a vulnerability that prevents the high-concept premise from feeling cold.

There is a sense of mental gymnastics required of the audience; Theo Jamieson’s lyrics are witty and saturated with meaning, though at times the sheer density of the work risks obscuring the clarity of the plot. Yet, this muddying sometimes feels like a feature rather than a flaw - a sonic representation of the lead characters' mounting anxieties.

Director Adam Lenson (also co-creator) excels at oscillating between domestic claustrophobia and the infinite. The collaboration between Libby Todd’s set design and Ben Jacobs’ lighting are particularly effective, creating a marriage of visual elements that effectively world-builds (or, perhaps more accurately, other-world-builds). The transitions are seamless, facilitating the often-changing mise-en-scène within the kinetic narrative.

Jamieson’s compositions are rhapsodic, wildly ambitious, and brilliantly performed by a band of six. Ben Kubiak’s deft musical direction leads the band’s performance of the mammoth score and facilitates the believability of the often-changing setting. The show is fantastically musically layered and does well to fly in the face of what an audience has come to expect from contemporary musical theatre scores.

Flyby grapples with heavy, existential questions regarding intrinsic value and the goodness of oneself without offering any easy answers. While its complexity may prove a hurdle for those seeking linear comfort or an easy night at the theatre, its refusal to play it safe makes it fizz. Don’t let this one fly you by!

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Jeff Mostyn

Flyby plays at London’s Southwark Playhouse Borough until 16 May, with further info here.