Haunted houses aren’t just the decaying, cobwebbed old mansions we’ve seen in popular culture for decades. In a similar vein (and even colour scheme) to A24’s hugely successful 2026 horror movie Backrooms, Eleanor Tindall’s Tender explores the fear that can lurk in the walls of even the most seemingly ordinary spaces.
Part psychological thriller, part queer love story – with sprinkling of body horror for good measure – Tender tracks the lives of young women Ivy (Nadi Kemp-Sayfi) and Ash (Francesca Amewudah-Rivers) as they become intertwined after a chance encounter on a night out. Ivy’s existence looks perfect from the outside, admitting to herself that “everything is in place” – the nice flat, the stable boyfriend, the pleasant job running an overpriced cafe. But from the offset we know that she’s suppressing something underneath her slightly twitchy persona that threatens to spill out in frenzied, bloodied bursts. Kemp-Sayfi handles the more surreal, gorier moments of the script with care and clarity, and Ivy’s neurotic quirks feel fleshed out enough for us to sympathise with her.
On the contrary, Amewudah-Rivers’s confident, laidback Ash radiates charisma as she navigates dating women and moving to a new flat alone while trying to keep herself safe from her toxic, furious ex-boyfriend. Her cool, calm persona makes it all the more heartwarming when she’s disarmed by her attraction to Ivy, stumbling over her words in awkward infatuation.
The pair have gorgeous chemistry, and the tension builds up to a beautiful payoff as the women have sex for the first time, choreographed gently by intimacy directors Tommy Ross-Williams and Sophie Cooch. These sequences possess an almost balletic quality, toeing the line between naturalism and realism just enough to make their relationship feel grounded.
Emily Aboud’s direction embraces the push and pull of Tindall’s script, and Alys Whitehead’s set almost becomes a character in its own right, with the pulsating yellow wallpaper and pink, fleshy seating adding to the overall unease. Sometimes the production can veer too far into the abstract, with certain moments of movement (such as the sudden unravelling of the pink seating) adding some visual dynamism, but little else.
Tender’s script is raw, unflinching, and often extremely funny – aided by the two leads’ natural rapport. With a runtime of less than 90 minutes, it’s a pacy piece of drama with enough twists and turns to keep the audience hooked. Some of the plot twists require a certain suspension of disbelief; I found it hard to accept that the withheld information that led to these revelations wouldn’t have already been divulged given how close and intimate Ash and Ivy’s relationship quickly becomes.
There are actually two more characters present in Tender: Ivy’s slightly coercive, “gritty” boyfriend Max and her emotionally volatile brother Cas. Both of these roles are portrayed by Amewudah-Rivers, who deliver their lines through a microphone while sitting facing away from the audience. This simple dramatic device becomes a powerful way of conveying how the presence of these men looms over Ash and Ivy, while fear and uncertainty lurk in their shadows – and in the walls.
This two-hander is compelling, disquieting, and unlike any play I’ve seen this year. With a central romance that quietly sizzles with help from two fantastic lead performances, Tender certainlylives up to its title.
Tender is at Bush Theatre until 1st August. Tickets are available to buy at: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/
Reviewer: Olivia Cox
Reviewed: 13th July 2026
North West End UK Rating: