Arthur and Augustus Blackwood (played by Joseph Dawson, and Ole Francis respectively), heirs to a vast fortune, meet at their family estate to spend the summer with the Prescott sisters and friends (played by Katie Jordan-Linton, Mia Shaw, and Polly Graves). What begins as breezy upper-class comedy of manners soon becomes something more agonising, as the death of the Blackwoods’ father turns the family’s expectations on their head. Both brothers are denied the futures they crave; Arthur is pressganged into service as the new head of the family, and Augustus is downgraded and forced to give up the woman he loves. Waiting in the wings is Cora (played by Emma O’Malley), a guest of the Prescott sisters with her own agenda.
The Divine Move is a well-produced and acted play that skips along at a brisk pace and never lets the audience grow bored, think Bridgerton but a bit more ‘British’. The dialogue is crisp and captures the manners of upper-class Victorian England perfectly, and the direction utilises the limited space to good effect, creating a strong sense of atmosphere with swift entrances and exits and simple but effective musical cues. The actors inhabit their characters with a joyful ease, shuttling between pleading selfishness and scabrous vulnerability. The play’s strongest point, however, is that it is comfortable in silence; after delivering a key line, the actors are allowed to sit for a moment and let a line rest, to let the audience marinate in the awkward texture of the scene.
If there is one criticism it is that the characters themselves take a back seat to the dialogue and swiftly moving plot. Most of the character development takes place off-stage and we are left to fill in the gaps as to the relationships and their backstories. But at just under an hour there is no time to sit around on the chaise lounge or deck chairs, and perhaps that’s just as well. The audience is left wanting to know more about this world, and indeed, the theatre company themselves, ‘Theatre on Draught’. This play is certainly a standout of this year’s Manchester Fringe and is refreshing for not chasing relevancy. The play speaks for itself, and what it says is impressive.
‘The Divine Move’ is at The King’s Arms, Salford, until July 7th 2026. To book visit https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-divine-move/
Reviewer: Amanda Hodgson
Reviewed: 6th July 2026
North West End UK Rating: