Theatre Review: WILT, Tobacco Factory Theatres

Summary:

Rating: ★★★★★
Running Dates: Thursday 24th April - Saturday 26th April 2025
Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes (no interval)
Keywords: Grief, Relationships, Guilt, Laughing through the pain.

Review

The play does a great job of encapsulating what it is to experience such dark but universal experiences and you see yourself up there on the stage, your trauma, your sadness, your relationships. You feel seen.

Nadia and Elliott are returning home from Nadia’s fathers funeral. They are grief stricken, unable to come to terms with the loss and are trying to go about life and their relationship as normally as possible. However, although time can help to heal wounds, it can also open up many more. 

I sat down in my seat at Tobacco Factory, popped my coat and bag down on the seat next to me and put my glass of ice-cold Coca Cola down on the floor, excited for the evening ahead. A few moments passed and then I remembered what this play was about: grief. So I unzipped my bag and removed a pack of tissues, ready for all the tears to fall. And boy did they! 

Written and directed by Jazz Summer after her first experience with loss, WILT is a raw and uncompromising look at the five stages of grief. It follows Nadia (India Erlam) and Elliott (Joe Northstone), a couple of six years, trying to navigate the death of Nadia’s father. The play is written in such a way that everyone will be able to relate to it, even if you haven’t experienced loss yet yourself. There are scenes of laughter, silly little things you do with your partner that become in-jokes or habits. There are scenes of arguments, misunderstandings and lapses in communication, all the way through to passing blame and feeling pure anger. There are scenes of confusion, of trying your hardest but still not quite getting through to someone. It is so complex and real, it hits you in the relatability! 

I could write so many words about this play but I fear I will give everything away if I do. Instead, I will give you my highlights. Firstly, the performances. India and Joe are absolutely incredible as Nadia and Elliott, they are captivating, hilarious, and sincere, crying on queue and drawing the audience in with every line and action. I watch an unhealthy amount of TV, film and theatre and they were genuinely two of the best performances I have ever seen. 

Another highlight was a particular scene in which Nadia is completely numb, the arguments have subsided for a time, and the depression and detachment period has kicked in. She sits on the sofa and Elliott brings out a bowl of water and a washcloth and wipes her face and arms clean. This scene truly broke me, I tried to sob as quietly as I could in the audience, but it was a tough watch. The gentleness of which he cared for her, the dulled and frozen state that she is in, the realisation that he is still there for her after all they have gone through. It was a beautifully choreographed scene reflecting what depression feels like and how incredibly unconditional love can be.

The final highlight for me was the physicality within the show. India and Joe filled the stage, they used every corner and made a two-person play feel like there was a whole cast of people. From showing their emotions by pantomiming characters from a Mr Men and Little Miss poster on their living room wall, to running around chasing each other, to using their bodies to express the pain they were feeling, it was very visually stimulating and attention grabbing. The hour and 15 minutes passed so quickly as every second was thought out and even when they weren’t speaking, something was happening. 

I went into WILT not sure I could handle it. Grief and depression are very difficult things to come to terms with and I was worried I would feel triggered. What actually happened was I felt happy! The play does a great job of encapsulating what it is to experience such dark but universal experiences and you see yourself up there on the stage, your trauma, your sadness, your relationships. You feel seen. You feel connected to everyone around you. It also peppers in a very dry and sarcastic British humour that offers light relief and adds another layer of realism as we all turn to jokes to get us through a hard time. 

WILT is undeniable, it is crafted so well, the writing is raw and real, the set design is simple but clever, and the performances are just astounding. I would recommend it to anyone and I think that’s the point - we all go through grief, it’s a topic we will sadly all be able to relate too, but there is a sort of beauty in that. And as WILT shows, if we can have a few laughs along the way as well, then why not.

Standout Moment: The intimacy and humanity of Elliott washing Nadia’s arms and face.

See If: You like comedy/dramas that leave you with something to think about. Think of the film 50/50.

Similar Plays:  Possession by Darkstuff Productions and Movable Type Theatre Company.

Last Impressions: Profound, funny, and incredibly performed.

You can find last minute tickets for the show on the Tobacco Factory Theatres website

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Amy Evans