Smalltown Boy | Pleasance Theatre

Smalltown Boy, by Brenda Callis, is a story of grief, shame, love and acceptance from the most unlikely places.

The show tells the story of Edie, a drag queen from Bristol, who travels down to a small town in Cornwall to meet with the family and friends of his boyfriend Leo. This isn’t a normal meet-the-parents visit, though, because Leo has died and Edie has been asked to come down to Cornwall to help bring closure to Leo’s mum and best friend. Only Edie has never met them, and they, in turn, have never met Edie or known about this part of Leo’s life. What ensues is a heartfelt exploration of drag and grief, leading up to the spreading of Leo’s ashes in Cornwall.

Overall, this is a touching piece of theatre. The acting is strong, and ultimately the standout is Elliot Ditton as Edie. Edie is instantly likeable, incredibly engaging and fabulous but also emotional. There is a particularly beautiful moment where Edie finally removes their makeup that is present throughout the show, and that quiet but clear statement is staggering to watch.

Everyone has their standout moments as well, with Shiquerra Robertson Harris, who plays Hannah and Leo’s former best friend/girlfriend, delivering a fantastic monologue about feeling like an outsider in a small town. Theo Cowan plays Stephen, the straightlaced boyfriend of Hannah, and has a lovely moment of vulnerability with Hannah about how much he loves her. And Kate Milner-Evans, who plays Claire Leo’s mother, shines through in her quiet moment towards the end of the piece, as she grapples with acknowledging her son's ashes. Set to the song I Have Nothing was particularly heartbreaking and Milner-Evans handles the moment beautifully.

The set design, by Alice Sales, is not only cleverly functional but also really dynamic for something that mostly represents a living room. There is a runway in the middle of the set, which seamlessly becomes a part of the living room. And this particular detail feels really clever, as the show blends elements of drag alongside everyday life. A really fun example of this is when Edie is meeting Hannah for the first time, and they are seemingly being called to start lip-syncing as the microphone keeps appearing in different places within the set. However, every time they reach for it, it disappears until finally Edie breaks through to a song from a mic that enters from the ceiling. This was a great example of how the set really becomes dynamic and visually engaging.

The main issue with this show is that it feels like it’s trying too hard to tackle several different issues at the same time. This ultimately means that not everything is wrapped up or explored to the level of detail this show is needing. For example, Stephen’s plot line of whether or not he is homophobic is unclear. You’re left at the end, when he and Hannah seem to reconcile, feeling that he’s not actually a bad person and possibly not homophobic. However, his character development has no time to be resolved and it sadly wasn’t even really established at the start. This is similar to Claire, who seems to be subtly homophobic at times, but also doesn’t have a clear resolution to that by the end.

Hannah has a bit of a better character arc, but at times it is unclear if she was referring to her feeling like an outsider in this small town because she was black. This felt implied, but it was never acknowledged in any clear way. And while it’s important to avoid spoon-feeding audiences, some things do need to be more explicit. Particularly when it comes to character traits that inform the characters’ choices and the overall plot.

The only other issue to flag is that throughout the show, particularly at the beginning, it feels as if Edie has no voice. Edie is purely there to comfort Hannah and Claire. Edie is not there to share their memories or experiences with Leo. Edie is not there to make them feel closer to Leo. Edie is the shoulder to cry on. And while this is the premise of the show, it feels that Edie’s moment to let go, to lose their cool, to share their life with Leo - all of that comes too late within the play. For a 75-minute show, Edie only really gets to be themselves and be centred within the last 15 minutes. So while this moment was beautiful and important, it didn’t get the level of exploration or reckoning that it deserved.

Ultimately, Smalltown Boy is a lovely and touching depiction of grief, but also a call to break away from shame. We would be wise to heed the call and to live our lives out loud - and also make space so that everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love, can do so as well.

Smalltown Boy plays at the Pleasance Theatre until 14th March 2026 - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Caitlin Damsell