Review: INVISIBLE ME - Southwark Playhouse (10/04/26)

Disjointed, rushed later life triple hander struggles to find its way

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However we live our lives, spend our time on this planet, there is no escaping the inevitable passing of time, and in an age when technology dominates our very existence, the importance of human interaction cannot be overstated; falling out of this loop at any point can make you feel isolated, lonely, and unable to find that spark to reignite the fire that once burned within. In this new Bren Gosling work, we focus on three Londoners, each at the end of their sixth decade, having experienced major losses in one way or another, and for all three these have had long lasting, at times devastating ramifications.

Through our trio of widower Jack (James Holmes), divorcee Alec (Kevin N Golding), and sexually frustrated Lynn (Tessa Peake-Jones), playwright Gosling explores themes of grief, loneliness, familial estrangement, and second chances, as all three struggle to keep up with a world that seems to be accelerating faster than they can handle. The show's title refers directly to the feeling of anonymity one can experience as someone in later life with limited personal connections, often feeling like a stranger in one's own community, isolated, unimportant. And whilst the ideas and themes explored were clearly well meaning, it became clear that Gosling and director Scott Le Crass struggled to get their message across in any meaningful way.

credit: Harry Elletson

Our three performers do the absolute best they can with the material and its direction, in spite of the fact that we are never really sure to whom they are direction their monologues, whether it be to the audience or to an invisible entity not directly involved, such as a therapist or neighbour. Golding has endless swagger and charisma as cheeky London cabbie Alec, as we follow his brief fling with younger woman Vanessa. Through Peake-Jones, what we gain more than anything is her yearning for the time lost through having seen her sex life disappear into a mere memory, as she tries to rekindle the fire she once had, and it was actually somewhat heart warming to see her find that brief moment of euphoria through trying new things.

Completing the trio is James Holmes, perhaps the most tragic figure of the three, we feel his loss and sense of aimlessness, as he wonders where the next connection is going to come from, especially since he has a clear distrust of those in his neighbourhood. What I missed a great deal though was a better build towards the final meeting between the three, and their bundling together in the final scene feels abrupt, forced, and disingenuous.

credit: Harry Elletson

There is certainly no shortage of humour, we feel a connection with each of our sexagenarians in one way or another, and particularly empathise with their sense of disconnect from the world around them, and their attempt to reconnect with a heavily digitised modern world. What leaves us wanting is the fact that Gosling never really explores these central themes in enough depth to make us want to care more about these three characters. What was perhaps most puzzling was that there were key plot points mentioned in the play's marketing, such as the devastating effect of AIDS, that never actually materialised in its script, leaving it feeling incomplete.

The potential of this piece was immense, and could have been a story that resonated with multiple generations, especially since much of the humour landed so well. Sadly, through a flurry of missed opportunities, half baked ideas, and references that were likely lost on anyone under 50, we were left disappointed, and wondering how we are to possibly connect with a story of parts that never truly felt like a whole.

★★☆☆☆ (2*)

"Invisible Me" runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until the 2nd of May (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}