Anyone who has had a sibling relationship could recognise themselves in this pithy depiction of a fraught brother-sister relationship. Set in a small London flat, the play fairly crackles along, galvanised by robust performances of the two protagonists, both actors displaying a bundle of nervous energy. With property in London hard to come by and expensive, what could be better than brother and sister living together in a flat and sharing bills? Or maybe not.
The plot is simple enough: the extravert sociable sister brings chaos to the life of her steady hardworking brother when she moves into his life. We see the opposing feelings of the pair, veering the positive and negative – between caring and sharing versus the tensions and emotional manipulations between them. Eliza Brown’s sparky play shows how an adult decision to share descends into a tit-for-tat of unresolved childhood bickering. Neither are able to escape the dynamics of childhood after growing up separately after their parents’ divorce. Though in their 20s, both continually look to their parents’ somewhat toxic values for validation.
He’s a foodie, she’s a vegan; he is tidy, she is a mess; he is emotionally constrained, she is expansive. They resolve their differences with games and negotiations: ‘Beef is my non-negotiable for today’, says George, ‘yesterday I literally ate a pink wafer because of you.’ Her untidiness and irresponsibility drives him mad, his patience is gradually eroded in face of her erratic behaviour and her constant need for drama.
The dramatic drive of this work is their different attitudes to death – Harriet’s best friend was killed a year previously, George’s favourite client dies in the course of the play. This is the emotional heart of the work, but it is questionable whether it is ever dramatically realised, sufficiently tied into the action or the source of anything resembling a plot. It fails to dig underneath or to give us enough of a story with the power to resonate. Though this piece creates a realistic and personal interpretation of the opposing feelings of such a relationship, it lacks depth.
However, for a good bit of comedy from Puzzled Monkey Theatre, it is a fun night out. A deft two-hander with some cracking dialogue in scenes jollied along by a lively soundtrack of 90s hits.
Playwright: Eliza Brown
Cast: Eliza Brown, Fraser Houston
Duration: 85 minutes no interval
Until: 11 October 2025