Invisible Me – Southwark Playhouse Borough

Three individuals, turning 60 and leading solitary lives, starting to explore new horizons, eventually meeting up, may sound a bit of an artifice for a plot. But with a tightly written text by Bren Gosling and first-class acting and direction, it is a theatrical gem.

We meet:

Lynn, played by Tessa Peake-Jones. Divorced from her uncaring husband and now living in her late mother’s house, working as a cleaner in a Travelodge. A surprise encounter leads to an unexpected foray into the world of online “personal services”.

Alec, played by Kevin N Golding. A taxi driver, divorced with two adult children who he rarely sees.  His tedious world interrupted by an encounter with a mysterious woman half his age.

Jack, played by James Holmes.  Still in grief over the death of his husband of 30 years, seeks help in counselling and discovers the world of online dating.

All three actors are superb. Peake-Jones is feisty but uncertain and spends a lot of time talking to herself.  Golding, a tall impressive looking man, talks to the audience as he would the customers in his cab, and Holmes, the most insecure of the three, seeks consolation in imaginary conversations with his late partner.  For most of the play the actors do not interact with each other, telling their stories independently, but there are no long monologues; their stories are told simultaneously as one character takes over from the other in a very fine piece of ensemble acting.

Directing a play in which three characters perform in a small space with little interaction is a challenge, but Scott Le Crass did an excellent job in moving them around enough to provide interest and yet not enough to be distracting.  The only stage furniture was three chairs set upon a slightly raised platform with the audience on three sides.

The text has a lot of humour, but also a lot of pathos and all three characters developed a good rapport with the audience. When they meet at the end of the play, in a cafe they separately frequent, rather than feeling forced I felt keen for them to get together and find some consolation in each other’s company.

Invisible Me is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 2nd May. Tickets are available from www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk.

Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd

Reviewed:  10th April 2026

North West End UK Rating: