Community theatre often faces a challenge that professional theatre rarely has to confront. The desire to include everyone can sometimes come at the expense of dramatic momentum. Large casts, varied abilities and an understandable determination to give every participant their moment in the spotlight can result in productions with enormous heart but limited theatrical drive.
The Table, a collaboration between Curious Seed, Lung Ha Theatre Company and Lyra, tackles that challenge head on and comes remarkably close to overcoming it.
Directed by Christine Devaney, Maria Oller and Jo Timmins, this ambitious and highly inclusive production brings together professional performers, young people, disabled and non-disabled artists in a work that sits somewhere between dance theatre, live music event and community celebration.
The audience entered Traverse 1 by a variety of routes guided by maps, hinting at the themes of journeys, belonging and community that would underpin the evening. Once seated, however, the focus shifted firmly to the stage and to the central image of the title, a table that gradually becomes both a literal and metaphorical gathering place.
Narrative is not the primary concern here. The Table unfolds as a series of linked episodes, stories, dances and musical sequences exploring who is welcomed, who is excluded and what it means to belong. Some moments are humorous, others moving, but throughout there is a generosity of spirit that is difficult to resist.
At the heart of the production is the music. Composer David Paul Jones, performing on keyboard and vocals alongside multi-instrumentalist Shea Martin, provides the engine that drives the evening forward. Time and again the music lifts the production, giving shape and energy to scenes that might otherwise drift. The score becomes the connective tissue that binds together a large and diverse ensemble and is arguably the single most important element in the show’s success.
Among the most effective sequences is a beautifully realised interpretation of the Scorpion and the Swan story. The familiar fable, in which a scorpion persuades a swan to carry it across a river only to sting its benefactor halfway through the journey, is transformed into a piece of expressive movement theatre. It is simple, elegant and unexpectedly affecting, demonstrating the production at its most artistically assured.
Another memorable section reimagines a talent competition, allowing performers to showcase individual skills while simultaneously exploring the production’s central theme of inclusion and exclusion. Participants are invited forward to sing, dance, joke and perform, while the audience is gently reminded how often society decides who is worthy of a place at the table and who is not.
Visually, the production finds some striking images. The transformation of twenty individual tables into a vast illuminated platform bathed in colour creates one of the evening’s most memorable tableaux. What begins as furniture becomes landscape, catwalk and stage, a place where stories can be told and identities celebrated.
The integration of British Sign Language is particularly impressive. Rather than functioning as an accessibility add-on, Emery Hunter’s performance becomes an integral part of the theatrical language of the production. BSL, movement and dance flow naturally together, creating moments of real beauty and reinforcing the show’s commitment to inclusion through artistic practice rather than simple messaging.
The greatest strength of The Table lies in the performers themselves. Members of Lung Ha Theatre Company, Lyra and the wider ensemble share the stage with warmth, commitment and generosity. The production never feels as though inclusion is being demonstrated. Instead, inclusion is simply being practised. That distinction matters and gives the evening much of its emotional force.
If there is a reservation, it lies in the production’s dramatic structure. The Table’s priorities lie elsewhere. Rather than building towards a conventional dramatic climax, it focuses on participation, inclusion and shared experience. There are memorable moments, striking images and genuinely moving sequences, but less of an overarching dramatic journey than some audiences may expect.
Yet perhaps that criticism misses the point. The Table is ultimately less concerned with plot than connection. It seeks to create a temporary community within the theatre and, judging by the packed house and enthusiastic response, succeeds admirably.
There may be more polished productions on Edinburgh stages this year and certainly more dramatic ones. Few, however, wear their humanity so openly. With masterful direction, committed performances throughout and a superb live score, The Table asks who gets a seat at the table and answers, convincingly, everyone.
Reviewer: Greg Holstead
Reviewed: 19th June 2026
North West End UK Rating:
Running time – 1hr 20mins
