Sufficient Merit is a new play by Emma Paige Baker.
This short play focusses in on four actors Tess, Emma Baker, Eleanor, Alia Lahlou and Ted, T’ai Hartley and their landlord Bob played by all three characters. Oh, and a fictional Chihuahua; whose lives are entwined through their work, their living arrangements and a shared desire to create the next best play. Their world is turned upside down when Bob delivers the bad news, the not so bad news and the good news to the trio. Their home, and theatre company is under threat from an external investor, AI creatives that could replace everything they had ever known.
The foundation of this play is centred around the real challenges faced by the actors of trying to put on a play “which keeps getting roadblocked” by bad news. So, they decided to write about it, creating Sufficient Merit, a play about their lived experience.
The staging is intimate and the music less subtle. The use of many props supports the storyline as the actors re-enact scenes together and showcase their screen test abilities.
The flow was smooth in-between prop and scene changes. Whilst the speech at first was fast and at times tricky to hear. Once the cast settled in, it became much more cohesive. Some lines didn’t quite land well as you start to think what is going on here. The scene changes are swift, moving through each character’s personality and deeper emotions in the form of a soliloquy. Within the first 20minutes It becomes clear and you start to appreciate the clever script writing.
This short play has the feel of a comedy sitcom as you become invested in each character’s personality and their relationship with each other. It certainly hits the funny bone in parts as each actor portrays not only themselves but Bob entering with his bad accent and meddling ways. There is a flavour of the English series ‘Allo Allo about it. You leave wanting to see more!
Sufficient Merit is a gloriously oddball cocktail of madcap laughs and tender reflection, it has all the ingredients to become something rather special.
The Crew
Writer and Director Eleanor Dunlop
Director Emily Serdahl
Timings 7-8pm 60 minutes no interval
Booking Link: https://canalcafetheatre.com
Run 16th-20th September 2026
Reviewer: Michelle Knight
Reviewed: 16th September 2026
North West End UK Rating: