Invisible Me | Southwark Playhouse

Lynn, Jack and Alec. All official members of the lonely over 50’s club, stumbling through this next chapter in a world that looks unrecognisable. When unexpected encounters take their lives in new directions, they discover that this may be a chance to start again…

The current run of Invisible Me at the Southwark Playhouse Borough marks the show’s official debut. 

It must be said that the production team had all the best intentions with this show: to highlight that the need for love in all of its forms is universal and that the sexual appetite clock doesn’t necessarily stop ticking when you become elderly. It had such promise and we were very excited to see what was in store.

However, both Scott Le Crass’ direction and Bren Gosling’s writing unfortunately seem to miss a few tricks. Three very interesting stories are told through monologues, which break the fourth wall, but we are never entirely sure who the characters are talking to.

References run throughout the show, grounding it in the context of the characters and their natural speech styles. Although due to the lack of emotional emphasis and consideration of relevance, this significantly alienates a younger audience, making it difficult to connect with the show in spite of its universal connective potential. 

Structurally, the show is a maths equation; formulaic and safe- as transparent as water- much like David Shield’s set design. To our dismay, this means that we find the show lacking in drama, energy and tension. It definitely could benefit from further development in order to take advantage of pacing opportunities and more acute attention to which details are worth exploring further. 

In spite of all of this, there are some great one liners and use of cross cutting for comedic effect. The actors make the best of the material and direction they are given. In particular, James Holmes stands out in his portrayal of Jack’s profound loss and battle to move on. 

The ideas and messages behind the show are exceptionally strong and with more time and development, it has the potential to be an outstanding piece of theatre. 

Invisible Me plays at the Southwark Playhouse until 02nd May 2026 - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★☆☆☆ (2*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Harry Elletson