Brains | Theatre Peckham

This tight, steady play follows Kiera and Henry, two young adults hiding out during a zombie apocalypse. As if a zombie apocalypse doesn’t present enough of a challenge, they must also navigate the tumultuous emotions that comes with teetering on the cusp between adolescence and adulthood. The carefully teased out drama, thoughtful pace, and laugh-out-loud jokes makes each moment a delectable amuse-bouche for the audience.

In a post-COVID-19 world, zombie stories often fall flat and feel disingenuous. Having lived through a global pandemic, audiences don’t need to go to the theatre to imagine what that may be like—we have all been touched directly by it. Likewise, there is little escapism from a real collective trauma when we engage with zombie stories-- which are notoriously so often a thinly veiled metaphor for the fear of contamination.

But this is where Brains shines. Brains contains (perhaps ironically) heaps of heart as it investigates what makes—and keeps—us human. This is not a play about zombies. This is a play about the need for human connection in a disconnected world.  

Despite the heavy themes and extraordinary circumstances, Brains is a comedic actor’s playground, presenting delicious character-driven jokes in a verbal tennis match between Kiera (Lauren Michell) and Henry (played by playwright Andrew Atha). Brains does a beautiful job of inverting the classic and tired tropes of both the zombie genre and the theatrical form. It is an intimate play, both in venue and scope of story, but it never feels claustrophobic despite only existing in a single room over the course of a week.  

The external forces and apocalyptic backdrop present a high-stakes environment for which the characters to contend. However, the play falls flat on internal stakes, which—given the short run time—could easily be expanded upon and further explored.  

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Jasmine MacHayle