REVIEW: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL @ KING'S HEAD THEATRE

🎭 America The Beautiful: Chapter One

📍 King's Head Theatre, 116P Upper Street, London, N1 1QP

🗓 Tuesday 10th March 2026

⭐️ 3 Stars

ALL SETUP, NO PAYOFF

It’s always a bit of a tease when a production promises a "savage" masterclass in modern drama, only to deliver something that feels more like a collection of half-baked rehearsal room exercises. AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: CHAPTER ONE at the King’s Head Theatre certainly has the gloss and the pedigree, but the substance is unfortunately spread paper-thin across these first three vignettes.

The concept - three chapters, nine plays - is a bold way to utilise the residency, but the writing in this opening offering is undeniably lacking. Hate Crime and Kandahar barely qualify as plays; they felt almost as if they were just a beginning - sketches that stop abruptly before any real dramatic tension can ferment. I found myself struggling to feel engaged, my mind often wandering to the point where I had to actively force myself to focus. That is never a good sign; you should be gripped and leaning in to feel closer to the story (as I was with the play Blink, which is also playing at the venue) not checking your mental shopping list because the script has stalled.

In Hate Crime, we see Borris Anthony York and Liam Jedele as two men seemingly plotting a violent act. The tension is there, but the dialogue circles around itself without ever landing a punch, leaving us with a premise that never evolves into a plot. Then there's Kandahar, a monologue also featuring Borris Anthony York that touches on the trauma of war, but again, it feels like a character study plucked from the middle of a much better play. It’s all setup and no payoff.

It's only the final story, The Possible, involving a tense encounter between Maya-Nika Bewley and Anna María, that felt like a proper piece of theatre with a beginning, middle, and end. The rest felt like being invited to a dinner party only to be served the appetisers and told the chef has gone home.

It is vital to note that this disconnect is entirely down to the writing, not the acting. The cast is, frankly, too good for the material they’ve been handed. Liam Jedele and Maya-Nika Bewley bring a sharp, uncomfortable energy to the stage, and you can really read the internal emotions and intentions of both from their facial expressions, while Anna María handles her moments with a poised intensity and believability that deserves a much meatier narrative arc.

The undisputed standout, however, is Borris Anthony York. He is the only actor to appear in two of the plays, and his versatility is incredible. Between his roles in Hate Crime and Kandahar, he didn't just swap a jacket; his entire physicality and voice shifted so dramatically it was as if a completely different actor had stepped onto the stage. It’s a transformative performance that almost - almost - makes up for the hollow scripts.

Technically, things were a bit hit-and-miss. While the lighting was quite basic overall - fine for what the stories required - it was actively poor during Hate Crime. There were distracting shadows constantly obscuring the actors’ faces, which is a shame when you have a cast this talented doing the heavy lifting.

It's a frustrating evening. Despite the exceptionally high standard of acting on display from this talented ensemble, the material doesn't meet them halfway. Having heard good things about Neil LaBute's writing, it was honestly a bitter disappointment.

Unfortunately I don't feel compelled to return for the next two chapters. If the writing doesn't have the legs to carry the first act, I’m not sticking around for the marathon. If the foundation isn't there in the script, no amount of acting magic can truly save it.

Because I wouldn't return, I would usually award two stars. This production lands on three stars purely because of the magnetic performances from the cast. I guess it was worth watching for the pure raw talent on display, even though the narrative was missing.

If you want to make up your own mind on this piece, then you can catch AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: CHAPTER ONE at King's Head Theatre until Saturday 14th March, with CHAPTER TWO beginning performances from Monday 16th March. Click here for more information, and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of America The Beautiful was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Anna María; Liam Jedele; Borris Anthony York; Maya-Nika Bewley

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Homophobic language; Description of a hate crime murder; Depiction of PTSD; Description of war crimes; Graphic description of male-female violence

AGE GUIDANCE:

14+

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