Review: The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return at Southwark Playhouse Borough

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return at Southwark Playhouse Borough is a moving piece of theatre that captures both the euphoric highs and devastating lows of adolescence in the economically disadvantaged town of Luton. Written by Sam Edmunds and co-directed by Edmunds and Vikesh Godhwani, this three-hander follows two sixteen-year-old boys, Voice (Nathaniel Christian) and Lewis (Elan Butler), as they embark on what they hope will be the best night of their lives. Armed with knock-off Ralph Lauren polos and a questionable bottle of gin procured through dubious methods, they’re ready to impress girls and rule the dance floor.

The play’s pulse is set by a nostalgic soundtrack of noughties and early 2010s dancefloor anthems (think “Migraine Skank,” Sean Paul, and Tinie Tempah’s “Frisky”) deftly woven into the action by Matteo Depares. These tracks will strike a chord with millennial audience members, but they’re not mere nostalgia: they heighten the energy and underscore the characters’ fleeting sense of invincibility.

Nathaniel Christian is a commanding presence as Voice, delivering powerful, impassioned monologues that anchor the story in urgency and pain. Butler and Leanne Henlon, who plays Lakesha and a host of other characters, showcase remarkable versatility, shifting effortlessly between roles and physicalities. Together, the trio breathe life into a vivid portrait of a community that’s both vibrant and scarred by years of austerity and systemic neglect.

Rob Miles’ set design is deceptively simple: a red-brick facade with two moveable blocks that quickly proves full of surprises. Doors embedded in the structure open to reveal secrets such as a tinsel-strewn house party and Boss Man’s corner shop.

What begins as a teenage night-out comedy evolves into something far more poignant, a portrait of a town where knife crime and fear shadow young lives, even as they yearn for escape. The play’s narrative is both playful and heartbreaking, offering humour and nostalgia alongside sharp social commentary. While its tonal shifts occasionally feel abrupt, The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return is a powerful, tightly performed production.

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 27th September 2025.

Photos by Harry Elletson