Review: THE WHITE CHIP, Southwark Playhouse Borough
Photo credit: Danny Kaan
Steven is a great success. He has a very successful theatre career, he’s well educated, so what if he drinks occasionally?...or maybe a bit more than that. Surely everyone does it? But not everyone plans their day around drinking. As Steven’s perfect life begins to unravel, there’s only one thing for it: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). This is where the real journey begins, with the earning of the white chip…
Based on playwright Sean Daniel’s personal experiences with alcoholism, The White Chip was first performed at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in 2016 to great success. It then was performed at various venues around America before being performed Off Broadway in 2024. The current production at Southwark Playhouse Borough marks the show’s official London debut, with a portion of the ticket sales being donated to the charity, Performing Recovery.
Design wise, the show is very minimalistic, consisting of a props table at the back of the thrust stage layout, a table, chairs, alcohol bottles and a few white balloons. The costumes are as simple as the set, consisting mostly of theatre blacks. Given that this show is autobiographical in nature, this plain aesthetic choice encourages the audience to really hone in on the actors and their performances, free of potential distractions, whilst also allowing the contrast between the deceptive highs of having alcohol vs the perceived cold, harshness of the day- to- day to be shown through the lighting.
There’s a lot to be said for Sean Daniels' boldness in writing this autobiographical piece, given how intimate and personal it feels, almost like reading a diary on stage. The dialogue is sharp and witty, with an attention to detail that allows for a pacey build up, which just comes crashing down. It’s almost as if the rhythm of the show matches the sensations that the main character goes through as he experiences the highs and lows of alcoholism.
It’s worth noting that the show doesn’t pass judgement on its protagonist and very much highlights alcoholism as an illness, but it does challenge the system of recovery through its questioning of step two in the AA (and NA) programme: the belief in a higher power. It explores the battle that a lot of alcoholics go through when facing this step, especially if religion isn’t really your thing. It argues that groups should be more open to different types of spiritual awakenings outside of organised religions and advocates for a belief in science to help recovering alcoholics progress through this step.
In this sense, the audience is given a unique insight into the process of how AA actually works and the show isn’t inspiring pity or sympathy nor is it creating a villain. It's sitting down with us, face to face and having a blunt and honest conversation. Forget the stereotypes you’ve seen in entertainment media, this is a real story, written by a real person who has been through it and come out the other side.
The humour in this show is quite dark at times but this works well in combination with the light humour that is used, allowing for tonal variation. Elements of everyday family drama mixed with sarcasm creates a cocktail of comedic elements that have quite a kick to them, keeping the audience engaged with the show throughout.
The casting in this show is incredibly strong, with a particular standout being Ed Colman who plays Steven. He has an electric stage presence and really understands the importance of connecting with the audience when performing autobiographical theatre. He’s clearly done his research and conveys the differences between sober Steven and drunk Steven, switching between them relatively fluidly, with sensitivity and understanding of nuance. His performance is so interesting and captivating to watch, the level of detail in his physicality and voice is as outstanding as the level of detail in the script.
Simultaneously darkly funny and brutally honest, this show feels intimately human and as raw as Balkan vodka.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill
The White Chip plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 16 August, with further info here.
