IDS Theatre take us back to the dark roots of storytelling, in this work-in-progress sharing of three intersecting short plays. Each play is staged as a monologue, with one actor playing multiple roles.
Cleo, My Little Baby tells the story of the “perfect woman”, an AI robot created to comply with men’s desires without asking for anything in return. Cleo escapes from Darren, a bullying creep who calls her mummy in bed, and sets out to discover her origins. My heart broke for Cleo, played with vivacious humanity by Samuela Noumtchuet. Personally, I am rooting for the robot uprising sequel.
In The Ginger Girl, we meet Mark (Kieran Lee-Hamilton), a young washing machine repairman and committed misogynist. Mark is chronically online, finding community through the so-called “manosphere”, a collection of internet communities devoted to the denigration of women. The horror escalates as Mark plots to act out his fantasies in real life. This is a terrifying portrait of a very real phenomenon.
Mark is written as a villain, not a victim, for good reason, and we learn only a little about how he got to be the way he is. However, I would like to know more about the turning points in his life; the moments where he made the choices that turned him into a monster.
GERM stars Amandine Jalon as Jaye, a young lesbian who heads to the big city, excited to embrace her identity. Jaye can’t afford a place to stay, so she quickly moves in with the older Ruth, who owns a sapphic nightclub. Soon, Jaye is trapped in a coercive relationship, as her emerging nonbinary identity clashes with Ruth’s gender-critical views. Jalon is brilliant in both roles, bringing a sweet, awkward vulnerability to Jaye, and unflinchingly autocratic as Ruth.
These are works in progress and there are many directions they could take. The three narratives could be combined into one piece or remain separate. Each play could be adapted to reflect the changing political landscape, as the world of today evolves into the world of tomorrow. The story of each character could be explored further in myriad ways. I await the next stage of this project with interest.
Our world increasingly resembles a sci-fi dystopia. If the billionaires could replace the entire human population with subservient robots, they would probably do so. In Fairytales ’26, playwrights Jordan S. Daniel and Tash McPhillips courageously critique the gender politics of our brave new world. These plays are peopled with memorable characters, navigating a hostile reality. It’s time to get angry. It’s time to fight for a better future. Theatre is one tool we can use to do so.
Fairytales ’26 was performed on 28th February 2026 at the Traverse Theatre. Home | Traverse Theatre
Reviewer: Wendy McEwan
Reviewed: 28th February 2026
North West End UK Rating: