The House Party – Leeds Playhouse

Miss Julie is one of the great totems of naturalistic writing and that gives Laura Lomas full licence to update August Stringberg’s text from a Swedish mansion to an upscale London apartment as a raucous house party goes off the rails

Lomas also makes the main protagonists mismatched eighteen-year-olds as hidden passions and enmities between the trio are slowly exposed over an intense 90 minutes told straight through. Despite the update Lomas does keep to the key principles of naturalism by making the whole scenarios realistic, the characters are most definitely flesh and blood with all the flaws that brings, and they are informed by their heredity and environment.

Our Julie is an entitled, but damaged, posh kid who is throwing a boozy eighteen birthday party to spite her absent rich dad. She seems to take a perverse delight in humiliating her devoted BFF Christine from a working-class background who is trying to leave for an interview at Cambridge.  The oblivious Julie seems to think everyone goes to Cambridge, and into this toxic mix steps Jon, who is Christine’s sort of boyfriend from the same council estate, and the son of a former cleaner for Julie’s Dad.  

As hell breaks loose as the increasingly unhinged Julie commits an appalling act of treachery against Christine, and for animal lovers then commits an equally heinous crime that draws a gasp from some in the audience.

On one level this reimagining of a classic text is about hormones out of control, although the betrayal is calculating, especially as Tom notes Julie is ‘using her pain as weapon’, but for a much younger audience than usual as this venue some actions must ring true, especially as the act goes viral. For those of us who were teenagers many moons ago it also feels naturalistic, despite the amusing self-absorption of endless selfies.

The House Party is also about inherited class as the haughty Julie regards her working-class friends with barely concealed contempt, which is returned in equal measure by Tom who proves to have very mixed feelings for the party host. Interestingly, although Julie is clearly an entitled narcissist Lomas does show how working-class kids like Christine and Jon allow the posh party animals to belittle them.

Like Miss Julie, misogyny rears its ugly head as seemingly right on Tom accuses Julie of being a slut simply because she has an active sex life and despite her being the victim of revenge porn.  It certainly makes you think about whether Gen Z are quite as evolved as they like to think they are.

Despite the heavy themes there are still plenty of laughs and warmth early as the friends spar quite naturally before it all hits the fan, and all three lead performers are sensational. Miss Austen’s Synnove Karlsen is mesmerising as Julie, skilfully peeling back her selfishness with real emotional intelligence to reveal the frightened and neglected little girl below all the wealth and spite.

Bridgeton’s Selsey Hope is the beating heart of this piece as the long suffering Christine who is more than a little in love with her best mate, and is trying to heal her. Her anguish when she is betrayed is haunting as her screams echo around the space and is the mark of a top quality performer. Gentleman Jack Tom Lewis is wonderfully confused and conflicted as Jon, drawing out his insecurities and the prejudices he so carefully hides from Christine and from himself.

As this is a Headlong and Frantic Assembly co-production there is plenty of movement onstage as an energetic ensemble on and off stage. They make the most of the kitchen island on Loren Elstein’s big stage to stage the riotous party going on upstairs from the main action. thanks to Giles Thomas’ banging sound design and Josuha Pharo and Joseph Hornsby’s spacey lighting.

Lomas offers a coda where Christine and Julie met up years after their night from hell which is beautifully realised by Karlsen and Hope as they tenderfully explore how those incredibly intense teenage friendships never really leave your soul.

The House Parry is on one level a wild night out, but the pace never lets up as you are slowly reminded into thinking how glorious and shitty it is being a teenager.

And make a note of the name of all three leads as they are going to be big stars.

The House Party is touring and to find out more go to https://www.headlong.co.uk/productions/the-house-party

Reviewer: Paul Clarke

Reviewed: 27th February 2025

North West End UK Rating: