Significant Other by Shireen Shaikh, Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 | until 29 August 2026 ⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

Photo credit: Grey Swan/Tim Stubbs Hughes

Significant Other

by Shireen Shaikh

Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 | until 29 August 2026

⭐⭐⭐ Review by William Russell

“Impressive first play.”

This ambitious first play by Shireen Shaikh is about two people, a teenage influencer and a middle-aged salesman whose lives are in turmoil - the influencer is being stalked, the salesman's marriage is in ruins as is his career – and she has combined the two so that we switch from one to the other often for no good reason, or at least no obvious reason. It does not quite work but first plays are first plays and director Julia Stubbs has secured solid performances from all the cast. It is, however, the problems the influencer faces with her stalker that work best, partly because of the performances of Christy Fewry as the influencer and Keila McCalla as her friend. Besotted with life on the internet they are both - initially at least - unable to cope. Charles Buckland makes a credible salesman on the way down but his very odd private life – having lost his wife years ago, although she haunts his imagination – he now carts a large dummy wife round wherever he goes.  His current problem is that the sales award he had hoped to get has been given to someone else which means his professional future is at stake. Significant Other is a promising debut play but setting two stories in motion simultaneously, even although they are about similar predicaments, demands more control over the way the narratives mingle. But for first steps as a writer this is the theatre in which to take them.

Cast

Charlie Buckland – Victor

Christie Fewry – Malika

Leila McCalla – Sophia

Kate Russell-Smith – Woman/Receptionist/Reporter

Bryan Seisay – The Boy/Jerome/Walter

Creatives

Director – Julia Stubbs

Set Design – Willoughby Brow

Lighting Design – Jonathan Samuels