The Moth – Shakespeare North Playhouse

Paul Herzberg’s two hander is a nuanced take on familial responsibility, the ethics of searching for forgiveness, and history’s grip on our adult lives. Using the studio at Shakespeare North to its full potential, The Moth directly confronts its audience with these thought-provoking themes.

The stage was preset with tall posters and a flat screen TV that introduced one character’s ‘Confesisonal’, implying a public forum and foregrounding the character study that was to come. The action weaved between John Josana’s talk on racism, his international childhood and his experiences meeting Marius (a South African ex-solider) on a train and later elsewhere. In detailing John’s experiences, the play introduced some vivid imagery and an interesting historical backdrop, supported by monochromatic images on the TV behind him.

But it is the scenes between John and Marius that are the most compelling, and where historical racial tensions rise to the surface. With the bullishness of Marius contrasting against John’s reservedness, over the course of the train journey they delve into each other’s personal histories. Added to this is their differing treatment of a fly that zips around the train carriage, a symbol which becomes acutely harrowing for the audience once Marius’ dark secret is revealed at the end of Act 1. “Like a child who purges a nightmare by sharing it with a parent;” this is how John describes Marius’ revelation. It points to the play’s intriguing line of psychological investigation: how white guilt is carelessly offloaded in an attempt at securing forgiveness.

Additionally, there are strong thematic links between the two characters. This is where Herzberg’s writing comes to flourish, for there is an interesting axis between the pair’s relationships to their fathers. Yet despite the writing’s engaging style, the dramatic framing was slightly confusing. At some points I had to readjust to the ‘Confessional’ talk-show setting, back to the scene on the train, and then onto a new time and place in history. Moreover, I was left hoping for a more creative way of signalling time and place than simply via the TV screen. These screens also felt a little overused over the two acts, especially when it displayed poorly photoshopped images. The show’s sound effects were also scratchy and loud, but perhaps this was intentional and served to mimic the jarring effect of the Moth on Marius, and consequently on John.

Elysium Theatre Company is touring The Moth around the UK until 12th April. You can find out more information here: https://elysiumtc.co.uk/2024/11/25/the-moth/

Reviewer: Eleanor Hall

Reviewed: 18th March 2025

North West End UK Rating: