Review: STALLED, King’s Head Theatre
Photo credit: Johan Persson
Set in a Seattle ladies’ room, Stalled is a new musical about mothers, daughters and moving on.
The story is strong and well thought out, giving each character a believable reason to repeatedly visit the same public toilets, which is what allows the connections to form. The central character (Maggie, the cleaner) has a clear journey, slowly revealing more and more about the reasons behind her actions and decisions. Played by Lauren Ward, the audience is treated to a very strong acting performance with a fantastic emotional range – allowing us to fully understand and empathise with the character. Ward also pleases the audience with fantastic vocals, which are well complimented by the lovely vocals of Rebecca-Jo Roberts, who plays her daughter.
The set does not change throughout the show – understandable given that the whole show takes place in just one location. However, it is aesthetically pleasing and it feels clean without feeling clinical, like a public toilet you would actually enjoy using. The direction of the show ensures the cast get lots of use out of both the set and space around it.
The autistic character, a teenage girl called Emma, feels stereotypically written and a bit of a wasted opportunity for a show that is clearly trying to show that it understands the experience of various minority groups. It comes across as though the show has tried to create an authentic autistic character, but it needs tweaking in order to become that.
Upon arrival at the theatre, there were some issues with our tickets meaning there was no wheelchair space reserved for us. Fortunately, two members of staff went out of their way to help us and rectified the situation as best they could. Whilst they were unable to create a space for the wheelchair, they found us aisle seats and helped us to transfer.
Stalled is a moving, heart-warming story about the coincidental meeting of several different women and the impact they have on each other’s lives.
Stalled plays at London’s King’s Head Theatre until 23 March, with tickets available here.
