Cheapo – Traverse Theatre

Cheapo, brought to the Traverse Theatre by Play, Pie and a Pint, follows schoolboy Jamie (known as “Sheldon” to his bullies, played by Testimony Adegbite) as he sets up his travel chess board in KFC, ready for his usual match. Expecting to meet the same friend he plays with every week, Jamie is instead greeted by Kyla (Yolanda Mitchell), one of his bullies. Kyla has a proposition: she wants Jamie to retract his witness statement to the police. In return, her boyfriend and his friends will spare him a beating.

As their chess game unfolds, it becomes clear that Kyla is not as cruel as she initially seems—she is frightened, afraid of the consequences of going to court. Likewise, Jamie fears the repercussions of withdrawing his statement, particularly in light of how the police treat young Black boys. Move by move, the two form a fragile bond, realising that neither of them can truly win; Kyla’s boyfriend and the friends who raped her have already won.

Mitchell and Adegbite make for a charismatic pair, and their unlikely friendship—between “nerd” and “chav”—feels authentic. The contrast in their characterisations injects humour into the performance, offering brief respite from the harrowing subject matter. For a moment, we see them play, imagining what might have been in a tender, innocent exchange. Mitchell’s performance is punchy and magnetic, drawing laughs through her brash, streetwise energy. Adegbite, meanwhile, evokes deep sympathy with his quiet restraint, punctuated by flashes of anger that reveal the weight of his situation.

The set, designed by Gillian Argo, is bold yet minimal. At its centre sits a sterile plastic table one might find in a fast-food joint, surrounded by matching stools that echo the look of chess pawns. The floor and walls are lined with black and white linoleum, evoking both a chessboard and a classic diner aesthetic. Cutting through this monochrome palette is a bright red stripe—reminiscent of KFC’s branding, but also symbolic of the play’s underlying violence. Argo’s design is thoughtful and multilayered, visually reinforcing the play’s themes and offering symbolic depth.

This simplicity contrasts beautifully with the story’s complexity. On the surface, the situation seems straightforward: go to court, and justice will be served. Yet, as we peer deeper into the characters’ psyches, it becomes clear that both personal fears and systemic injustices complicate this logic. Writer Katy Nixon masterfully balances this duality of tone—Cheapo is both darkly funny and heartbreakingly real. Director Brian Logan understands this balance perfectly, crafting moments of childlike playfulness between Jamie and Kyla, especially during their dreamlike sequence, while maintaining the constant shadow of trauma that looms over them.

To me, Cheapo is virtually faultless. It may not be life-changing, but it is a solid, finely crafted piece of theatre—polished, thoughtful, and deeply engaging. The sensitive subject matter is handled with delicacy, and while this story has been told before, it remains a devastatingly relevant one. Combined with strong direction and a striking design, Cheapo stands confidently among similar works, radiating both professionalism and artistic integrity.

Reviewer: Jessie Martin

Reviewed: 7th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: