⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Five Stars)

Danielle Phillips’ 95-minute, one-act debut play (in which she also plays the lead role) takes us on a rollercoaster journey through the final three years of the twentieth century. Told with so much love for Phillips’ hometown of Doncaster, Children of the Night is a powerful piece of storytelling that expertly balances searing social commentary, comedy, and intense emotion.

Starting in 1997, we meet teenager Lindsay (Danielle Phillips) as she receives her exam results and prepares to celebrate by finally experiencing Club Karisma, the greatest nightclub in her beloved Doncaster, “Yorkshire’s very own Vegas”. Her father, Terry (Gareth Radcliffe), a former raver, has been preparing her for this formative moment, reminiscing about his clubbing days and creating a personalised mixtape in preparation for passing the baton from father to daughter. Joining Lindsay, armed with laminated fake IDs and journey juice, is her best friend Jen (Charlotte Brown), and the pair’s anticipation for Club Karisma rises steadily as we watch them bar-hop their way there, kissing men for free drinks until they are suitably inebriated.

That night at Club Karisma unlocks a love of nightlife within Lindsay, who craves the euphoric highs of the dancefloor and whose life begins to revolve around partying and unsafe behaviour. A year passes, and in 1998 the UK’s first cluster of heterosexual HIV diagnoses among clubbers in Doncaster leads to the city becoming the focus of the national press. It also provides a harsh wake-up call for Lindsay, who has drifted further and further from Jen, who has been busy focusing on her academics, and from her father, who has been becoming increasingly ill.

Phillips’ excellent writing in Children of the Night incorporates many 90s pop culture references - from the Spice Girls to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Coronation Street - as well as sections of spoken-word poetry that tie in with the rhythmic quality of the dancefloor music essential to the atmosphere of the play (designed and composed by Ben McQuigg). Each character feels believably written and three-dimensional, and the inclusion of pre-recorded segments from real Doncaster residents adds to the authentic feel of the piece. Kimberley Sykes’ direction has an incredibly tight and controlled grip on the pacing. We hurtle through scenes, so the moments when everything intentionally slows down feel even more powerful and impactful.

The cast of three are universally strong. As Lindsay, Danielle Phillips gives an outstanding performance, portraying the ecstatic highs and devastating lows of the character believably and with unrelenting energy. The friendship between Phillips and Charlotte Brown’s characters is convincing, and the two have great chemistry in both their comedic and emotional moments. Brown similarly does an excellent job depicting her character’s inner conflict between her love for her friend and hometown and her ambition to study at university, as well as the hurt caused by the racism she faces.

Hannah Sibai’s set design provides a minimal but versatile playing space, with the structure in the centre of the stage managing to evoke locations as disparate as living rooms, a kebab shop counter, and a nightclub toilet. The set transforms into Club Karisma thanks to brightly coloured tubular LED lights and the refracted light from a disco ball, with Jessie Addinall’s lighting design providing stunning visuals.

Overall, I would highly recommend Children of the Night to anyone interested in a nostalgic but also nuanced visit to 90s club culture. The play amplifies working-class Northern stories in a dramatic but also comedic and engaging way.

Children of the Night runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 4th April 2026.

Tickets Available Here