Review: Flyby, Southwark Playhouse **½

Review: FLyby, Southwark Playhouse Borough

While the ambitious scope of Theo Jamieson’s Flyby aims for the stars, this new chamber musical at Southwark Playhouse Borough finds itself caught in a heavy gravitational pull of conflicting ideas. It is a production of immense technical skill and intellectual curiosity, with a sumptuous soundscape and a dedicated cast, but currently feels like a collection of fascinating components that have not yet found a cohesive orbit.

The plot follows Daniel, a engineer who has essentially resigned from humanity by hijacking a spacecraft. As he drifts further from Earth, a non-linear narrative pieces together the fractured history he shared with Emily, a documentary filmmaker. Through flashbacks, we see the building blocks of their identities. However, the central couple are regularly quite vile to one another. Their fighting is loud, abrasive, and at times unbearable. One feels battered by the constant shouting and abuse, which leads one to wonder if their relationship was ever truly viable. It is a challenge to root for a connection that feels so consistently toxic.

The production is musically sophisticated. The musicians are excellent, and the use of strings creates a wonderful, rich texture. The background soundscape is particularly effective, adding a genuine sense of atmospheric space to the auditorium. The decision to place the musicians above the stage behind gauze is a masterstroke, further enhancing the celestial feel. However, while the score is sumptuous, the songs themselves are largely unmemorable.

The world of the play is shaped by Libby Todd’s design, offering a clinical aesthetic that stands in stark contrast to her lush, tactile work currently on display in A Mirrored Monet at the Charing Cross Theatre. Her set here is fabulous, though the awesome symmetry seen in production shots was, unfortunately, always obscured by a sofa from my seat. The projections, however, are excellent, especially a sequence detailing a “lifelong list of hurts” that Daniel has carried with him that was as amusing as it was poignant.

The cast of Flyby at the Southwark Playhouse — Photography by Alex Brenner and Tristram Kenton

Directing the piece (and co-creator) is Adam Lenson, a seasoned champion of new British musicals who famously oversaw the trajectory of Cable Street from this venue to the Marylebone Theatre. The cast are uniformly strong.

Stuart Thompson is a sensitive Daniel, bringing an uncertain vulnerability to his role. Opposite him, Poppy Gilbert makes a vivid and unyielding impression as Emily. They are supported by Gina Beck, Rupert Young, and Simbi Akande. These performers act as a scientific chorus or narrators, and while their vocal contributions are flawless, the roles themselves feel somewhat pointless, acting more as narrative furniture than essential components of the story.

Ultimately, the piece feels overwhelmed by an overabundance of ideas. Between the “nepo baby” material regarding famous parents, the hints at overuse of porn, the dysfunctional relationship and the sci-fi setting, the emotional core is spread too thin. The space element, in particular, introduces logistical distractions. Perhaps it was just me, but every time Daniel recorded his space diary, my mind wandered to the practicalities of food, air, and fuel, which pulled focus away from the human drama. The inclusion of a turtle crawling across the floor at the finale further adds to a sense of conceptual clutter.

For Flyby to truly soar, it needs to be streamlined, rearranged, and refined. There is a moving story here about two broken people, but it is currently buried under too many competing strands. By choosing one key focus, perhaps the relationship or the shadow of a famous father, the production might find the clarity it seeks.

It is heartening to note that Southwark Playhouse expanded its Pioneers’ Preview scheme to include all preview performances for this run. The theatre offered an explicit invitation to give the musical a try and let the team know what the audience thought, acknowledging that viewers are an essential part of the musical development process. This spirit of trialling and beginning is fundamental to success; after all, it was here at Southwark that both Operation Mincemeat and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button started their journeys toward acclaim.

A poster at Southwark Playhouse showing past successes Benjamin Button and Operation Mincemeat — Southwark Playhouse is known for cultivating new musicals

Flyby is a brave attempt at a new kind of musical and there is much to admire. While this particular iteration feels like it needs further work to achieve emotional lift off, the ambition behind it is clear. It is a vital test flight for a piece that has the potential to be something special with further cultivation.

[Thank you to the producers for gifted tickets for an honest review.]