REVIEW: COCKFOSTERS @ SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH

🎭 Cockfosters

📍 The Large, Southwark Playhouse,  77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD

🗓 Friday 19th December 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MIND THE GAG!

Alright, let’s talk about COCKFOSTERS at Southwark Playhouse Borough. Honestly? It’s a total hoot.

If you’ve ever found yourself trapped on the Piccadilly Line, questioning every life choice that led you to a sweaty carriage at rush hour, this play is for you. Written by Hamish Clayton and Tom Woffenden, it’s a high-energy, whip-smart love letter (and an occasional middle finger) to the London Underground.

The premise is brilliantly simple: two strangers meet at Heathrow Terminal 5 and travel the entire length of the Piccadilly Line to Cockfosters. Along the way, we get a kaleidoscopic tour of London life. What makes this show sing is the sheer versatility of the performers. They morph into a dizzying array of commuters, tourists, and TFL staff with nothing more than a few prop tweaks and some seriously impressive character work.

The chemistry between Beth Lilly as Tori and Carter Sam Rees-Bayliss as James, the two central characters, is electric. They have that rare, effortless rapport that makes you feel like you’re in on the joke rather than just watching it. The script is peppered with hyper-local references so if you know your Zone 1 from your Zone 4, the gags land with a satisfying thud. It’s fast-paced, physical, and genuinely funny, but it also sneaks in some lovely moments of human connection that keep it from feeling like just a series of sketches.

The company is completed by Charlie Keable, Liam Horrigan, Princess Donnough, and Emily Walters who were all abolutely incredible as they multi-role their way through the evening, making each character unique and oh so different to the one's that have come before. This is talent with a capital T.

The staging in The Large at Borough is minimalist but effective, using sound and light to recreate the claustrophobia and rhythm of the Tube perfectly. It’s the kind of fringe theatre that Southwark Playhouse does best—unpretentious, inventive, and leaving you with a massive grin on your face.

Look, it’s not reinventing the wheel, but it is a joyous, camp, and relatable night out. If you’re looking for a tonic to the winter blues, hop on this train. Just make sure you’ve got your Oyster card ready!

COCKFOSTERS is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough until Saturday 3rd January. Click here to grab a ticket—it’s much more fun than the actual commute!

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 reviewer.  

My ticket for this performance of Cockfosters was gifted by Southwark Playhouse 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:

Beth Lilly as Tori; Sam Rees-Baylis as James; Charlie Keable as Various; Liam Horrigan as Various; Princess Donnough as Various; Emily Waters as Various

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 10 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Sexual references

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

16 +

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