The Last Man – Southwark Playhouse Elephant

Deep down in an underground bunker made of concrete and reinforced steel, our unnamed protagonist (played by Lex Lee on press night, alternating the role with Nabi Brown) is seeking shelter from a zombie apocalypse caused by a mysterious unknown virus. As he stocks up his new abode with bulk bought food and supplies, some audience members may feel a shudder of deja vu as there is a touch of the COVID-19 about it all. But not to worry – there aren’t any Zoom quizzes or clashing of pots and pans this time.

Instead, The Last Man, a new English translation of Jishik Kim and Seungyeon Kwon’s Korean musical with dramaturgy from Jethro Compton, follows the protagonist as he reckons with what it takes to survive against all odds and leave the life he once knew behind. He’s a film buff, with posters for movies including Parasite and Shaun of The Dead lining the walls and references to zombie flicks galore. Beyond this passion, we don’t really know too much about him on a personal level; mentions of his mother and family are brief, and he doesn’t have a hugely clear point of view outside of wanting to survive. The script gives him a lot of jokes, which Lee delivers with charm, but I felt an itch to see a bit more of what was under the surface.

Much of the exposition is delivered through the protagonist filming a vlog on his phone, which is mounted on a tripod and live streamed through a number of screens framing the set. This is a clever way of allowing him to talk to the audience without breaking the fourth wall, but it never quite works due to a very laggy live stream and the constant repositioning of the tripod around the stage. The book feels much more impactful when the survivor is talking to himself or, later, to his long-lost childhood teddy bear. Although this raised some confusion for me too – the bear appears out of nowhere, and frequently reappears in different parts of the bunker, but it’s never made clear whether or not this is simply in the survivor’s head or the bear genuinely possesses some kind of magical powers. I’m hoping it’s the latter.

Lee brings a lot of charisma to the role, which really shines during the musical numbers. There are some very strong numbers in The Last Man, with high-octane ‘Hold The F*ck On’ being a particular highlight, but they feel quite sparse throughout the two acts – especially Act Two – which can mean they occasionally seem as though they’re shoehorned in. Lee’s vocals bring a lot of colour to the numbers, but the sound mixing means that some of the lyrics sung in his lower register get lost, especially in the first number that is performed on the balcony above the audience.  

Shankho Chaudhuri’s set design works incredibly well in Southwark Playhouse Elephant’s industrial, exposed space, and Cheolmin Cho’s lighting design brings the apocalypse to life with frighteningly good effect. Seeing the band on the balcony playing the guitar and violin-heavy score was a real delight, creating an epic atmosphere during the most raucous numbers.

Having been very well received during its sell-out run in Korea, it feels as though some of The Last Man might have gotten muddled in translation, and there’s a sense that a lot of the shorter (but darker) second act could have been condensed to make this a pacier one-act musical where the numbers come thicker and faster. It’s a fun concept anchored by an entertaining lead performance, but I wanted this zombie tale to have a bit more bite.

The Last Man is at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 13th June. Tickets are available at: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/

Reviewer: Olivia Cox

Reviewed: 13th May 2026

North West End UK Rating: