Private View – Soho Theatre

Private View is the debut play by playwright Jess Edwards, a vulnerable portrayal of queer love that burns itself by moving too close to the flame, too soon. It is held together by sincere performances from Patricia Allison (Sex Education) and Stefanie Martini (The Gold), who draw you in from the tantalising portrait shots on the show poster to their believable portrayals.

Directed by Annie Kershaw, Private View runs at Soho Theatre from 27th November – 20th December. https://sohotheatre.com/events/private-view/

Come for the sizzling chemistry of the hot flush queer romance; stay for the realities of staying in love—true to any relationship. The play captures the essence of the tenderness of attraction. It ruminates on how, in falling in love, we open ourselves to the spotlight, exposing our eccentricities, vulnerabilities, blind spots, and past rejections.

The couple moves swiftly from a meet cute to romance and domesticity, and in their dialogue they contemplate the binaries of:

•             public and private

•             intention and coincidence

•             old and young

•             smart and stupid

•             deep and superficial

•             rich and poor

•             opaque and open

•             jealous and curious

•             controlling and gullible

•             provider and receiver

•             scientist and social experimenter

Our protagonists leap closer to one another as they waltz around their differences and resonate deeply over their similarities. For some the play may open a Pandora’s box to reflect on co-dependency, freedom, jealousy, and boundaries in relations. The story’s stage is set in the retrofitted queer haven, ‘Hackney Wick’ living space/ bedroom, inviting the audience into a “private view” but the pace of the scenes offers little room for self-reflection for our characters.  Neither does it pause to critique the colonial gaze/ the ancestry of London that seeks to control everything that moves and feels relevant by observing up close any subject it chooses to withhold agency from. One would benefit from pausing on the consequences of violence meted out on the self and others.

On the periphery of this bubble room, however, we can feel the tension of the many social forces that plague queer lives, pushing their way in. The abject loneliness and mental health challenges and the divergent aspirations of parents weigh heavily on some shoulders influencing their every waking moment. The sound design by Josh Anio Grigg is subtle, one would love the characters choices to reflect more on their environment; lighting design by Catja Hamilton creates depth, texture, and multiple layers throughout the play. The production wedges familiar, relatable experiences with queer tropes and lived realities. One misses the giggles, the queer community, and the reflected soft moonlight that makes queer relationships especially luminous. A cozy reflection for the advent season.

Reviewer: AP

Reviewed: 2nd December 2025

North West End UK Rating: