Balisong – Traverse Theatre

Short but perfectly formed, Balisong occasionally comes perilously close to feeling like a public-information film about the dangers of knives. But perhaps that is hardly surprising. Jennifer Adam’s play was originally commissioned by No Knives Better Lives, produced with Fast Forward and developed in consultation with young people. It was subsequently recommissioned twice and, between 2017 and 2019, toured schools in every local authority in Scotland.

And yet, sitting in the Traverse, I can’t help being affected by it. Isn’t that, after all, one of the points of theatre? To write something with purpose, with an allegory; something that seeks not merely to entertain but perhaps to make a difference?

Its timing is particularly poignant. A few miles away in Leith stands the extraordinary Knife Angel, Alfie Bradley’s 27-foot sculpture created from around 100,000 surrendered and seized blades, now reaching the end of its Edinburgh residency. Balisong has itself been touring Edinburgh secondary schools as part of the programme surrounding the Angel’s visit. The connections between art, education and action could hardly be clearer.

Adam takes me straight back to my own school years, putting me again into that intense little world of friendship, bullying, anxiety and hope. And yet it is also a world I barely recognise. When I was at school, knife carrying simply wasn’t something we talked about. Perhaps we live in a very different world now. The pressures seem higher and, tragically, so do the stakes.

Why does a young person carry a knife? Peer pressure? Status? Fear? The seductive influence of the online world? The hyper-violence and aggression of gaming? The increasingly pervasive manosphere, testing and distorting the boundaries of what young people believe they can — or should — become? Balisong asks these questions without pretending there is one simple answer. At its centre is something more uncomfortable: what responsibility do you have when you know somebody else is carrying a weapon?

The three young performers from Strange Town Theatre attack the material with a shining-eyed conviction that makes it difficult not to become involved. William Alexander as Aaron is phenomenal. There is a physicality to his performance, an almost restless energy, that draws the eye whenever he is on stage. He makes Aaron feel gawky and gormless but immediate rather than merely a character constructed to serve the play’s message. Alexander is certainly one to watch.

Alongside him, Evie Mortimer as Rachel and Kathryn Scott as Evie give strong, grounded performances, with Scott particularly impressive given that Balisong marks her professional debut.

Yes, the play is repetitive in places. And no, it doesn’t seek to become much more than the thing it sets out to be. But is there anything wrong with that? Writing convincingly for young people is difficult, and writing theatre intended both to entertain and educate is harder still. Adam negotiates that line remarkably well.

At around 40 minutes, Balisong lasts the length of a school period. Somehow that feels perfect. One lesson, one subject, one opportunity to make somebody think.

Here is theatre that seeks to make a point — and perhaps to make a difference. That’s something worth applauding.

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 25^th September 2026

North West End UK Rating:

Running time – 40mins