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★★★★
This weekend I returned to Southwark Playhouse for my second visit of the year, except this time I headed to the Borough venue which is the current home of Mad Friday Productions’ ‘Children of the Night’. Written by actor/writer Danielle Phillips, the play looks at rave culture, specifically life in Doncaster in the 1990s when Britain had its first heterosexual HIV cluster. Featuring themes of nightlife, growing up, hedonism and life in post-Thatcher Britain, there is plenty to unpack in this 95-minute debut play from the writer, which showcases the highs and lows of being a working-class teenager during the decade. A rhythmic soundtrack, brilliant acting and headstrong storytelling makes it an engaging watch from start to finish, even if the structure could have benefitted from a little less repetition.
Background
Inspired by the testimonies of thirty people from Doncaster in the 1990s, the narrative takes place during the mid to late part of the decade and follows 16-year-old Lindsay Jenkins (Danielle Phillips) who has just received her GCSE results and is about to have her first experience of clubbing in the city centre. Joined by her friend Jen (Charlotte Brown), the pair embark on a pub crawl before ending up at the club that they have been dreaming about visiting for years. This first experience completely changes Lindsay’s next couple of years, as the elation of the nightlife scene leads her on a repetitive path of partying that clashes head first with the danger of the cluster a year later. When Lindsay is not experiencing the euphoria of clubland, audiences get to see what her home life is like, living with a supportive single father who is struggling with his own health.
Narrative and structure
On the whole I found the one-act narrative to be well-paced and dynamic, with the creative team and cast never afraid to be brave and vivid in their storytelling. That being said, the Doncaster pub crawl route is used multiple times as a lens for relaying events, which at first feels pivotal to the storytelling, but later risks becoming repetitive. I understand that the route is akin to a rite of passage for teenagers, but during the more harrowing moments in Lindsay’s story I was longing for the events to not follow the same structure and instead there be more room for pause and reflection. There are a couple of plot points which really make you gasp in horror and in the play’s current form, I don’t believe there is enough time to process what you have witnessed.
Visual design
The visual design is a highlight of the piece, with the creative team really capturing the spirit of the nineties in the set, costume and lighting design. Hannah Sibai’s set is made up of a series of blocks that take on various forms, representing the bricks of a house during the sentimental moments with Lindsay’s father Terry (Gareth Radcliffe) and the energy of a club when they are illuminated in fluorescent colours during the nightlife scenes. Additionally, the costume design accurately reflects the fashion of the era, from Spice Girls-inspired hairstyles and dresses, to the layered outfits of the time.
Energetic and thought-provoking
‘Children of the Night’ is a very impressive debut from Danielle Phillips. It is evident throughout the performance how much both the writer and the director Kimberley Sykes want audiences to feel like they are watching very real and human experiences on stage, and it is where the production’s strengths lie. Danielle Phillips throws everything into the role of Lindsay, and you come away reflecting on how both teenage experiences and nightlife has evolved over the past 30 years. Audiences can catch ‘Children of the Night’ at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 4th April 2026, with tickets available via the theatre’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Children of the Night’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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