Radio Live: Next Generation – Battersea Arts Centre

Radio Live: Next Generation is not really a play, nor does it claim to be. It is something else altogether.

Over two hours, Aurélie Charon speaks to two interviewees: Oksana Leuta, from Ukraine, and Amir Hassan, from Gaza. They recount stories of their childhood, their families and their communities. Then they tell us about the wars that have disrupted all of these things.

It is an even-paced few hours in the theatre, never really seeking to grab you, but never lagging either. Whether the memory being discussed is extreme or more every day, it is approached in a similar fashion, with Charon asking her questions simply. Crucially, the focus of the interview is entirely on the experiences of Hassan and Leuta. The politics of the play are thus firmly grounded in the personal. This is the huge benefit of having real stories told by real people on these topics; it preempts the problems some political plays have of becoming generalised or didactic. 

This straightforward, grounded approach is excellently supported by the show’s design and conception. The interviewees stories are accompanied by visuals on a large screen featuring photos, text messages and pieces of film related to what is being discussed. Sometimes Gala Vanson, who is cueing these images live, draws over the top of them, creating sketches over the images. Likewise, the use of tech on stage is straightforward enough: a few microphones, a movable screen, a handheld tablet. The boldest choice is the inclusion of live music, but Emma Prat’s vocals and guitar are not overused and provide a beautiful means to transition between the two accounts.

This restraint is an excellent choice and credit must go to Charon and her co-creators Amélie Bonnin and Pia de Compiègne. Because we are hearing from real people, none of the artifice that would be necessary for a piece of fiction played by actors is required.

This stripped-back and microcosmic approach creates space for some incredibly tender moments. Madame Zeinab, one of Hassan’s former teachers, admits her pain at leaving Gaza, and that it took her three months to unpack her suitcase. And yet, she remains defiant: ‘War is war, school is school’. Likewise, Hassan shares many lighthearted stories about his family, making it all the more poignant when he plays us a piece of music that reminds him of the home he has to live apart from. Leuta’s clarity when she describes her decision to give up teaching Russian is equally striking; it shows the depth of the pain she has experienced, where even the language of the occupier is something she never wants to use again. When she calls her mother live from the stage, it is hard not to be moved.

All of this is testament to the amount of work that has gone into developing these relationships prior to this production. Radio Live has developed from a much longer project led by Charon and co-journalist Caroline Gillet. The result is that we are presented with two hours distilled from the lives of these two people and their relationship with their interviewer.

This is a remarkable achievement and an incredibly important piece of work, managing to bring this difficult topic to the stage while avoiding many of the potential trappings of political theatre. With the lives of two real people on stage, empathy does not need to be manufactured or forced, but develops naturally within the room. Though this one-off at the Battersea Arts Centre is finished, the Radio Live project is one to keep watching.

Reviewer: Ralph Jeffreys

Reviewed 12th October 2025

North West End UK Rating: