REVIEW: CODE TEA PARTY @ GOLDEN GOOSE THEATRE

🎭 Code Tea Party

📍 Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Road, London, SE5 0RR

🗓 Thursday 22nd October 2026

⭐️ 3 Stars

WONDERLAND WITHERING

The Lambeth Fringe is in full swing, and last night I headed down the rabbit hole to the Golden Goose Theatre for CODE TEA PARTY. The concept of this one piqued my interest, and I found the nods to Alice in Wonderland in the poster wonderfully intriguing.

The Lewis Carroll classic permeates into the piece itself, framing a story that is at its heart deeply human but wrapped in a surreal nightmare. We follow adult siblings Mary Ann and Josh as they navigate the confusing labyrinth of the modern healthcare system. Mary Ann has given up everything to become a full-time caretaker for Josh, whose body is progressively failing him. As they seek a way out from his chronic suffering, they are forced to jump through the increasingly bizarre hoops of a soul-crushing medical bureaucracy.

For me, I feel that Shannon Damery's writing leant far too much into the absurd, which took away from the heart of the story. The way characters related to the Alice in Wonderland characters was easy to understand - a social worker was The Mad Hatter, a doctor was the White Rabbit, and so on. Unfortunately, I thought there was too much focus on getting these references in, and not enough on plot development.

Even in a wacky piece of theatre such as this, there has to be some realism there. Whilst the initial story is compelling, it gets lost in its own quest for theatrics, causing the delivery of the piece to be far too chaotic, and, at times, clumsy.

I felt as it went on that the writing lost its focus a little. I bet it was fun to write actually, and I highly applaud the attempt, but maybe if it had been reined in a little, the piece would have a bit of a better flow. Some scenes were a bit too long if I'm honest. Perhaps if some elements were shortened and others were expanded then my engagement would have been enhanced.

On the technical side, the lighting design worked well for the scenes, but the execution of the transitions was handled poorly. Everything was far too sharp, almost as if they had been forgotten until the last second, which snapped me right out of the illusion.

Thankfully, there were some good performances, but the absolute standout for me was Neale McDonald as the patient, Josh. He brought a beautiful, grounded vulnerability to the stage, making the physical and emotional toll of his chronic illness entirely believable. You could feel the heavy weight of his daily struggle, and he anchored the show's crazier moments with real, raw empathy.

On the flip side, I struggled with the believability of Mary Ann. This wasn't to do with the performance, but suddenly halfway through the play, her demeanour changes inexplicably. It was almost as if the character had been written by two different people!

Ultimately, CODE TEA PARTY is a bold and highly commendable fringe experiment that boasts a genuinely moving premise and a stellar star turn from Neale McDonald. However, its brilliant real-world critique of healthcare bureaucracy gets a bit too tangled up in its own Wonderland gimmicks and jarring pacing to fully land its emotional punch.

If you want to check out this piece for yourself, it has two further performances as part of the Lambeth Fringe on the 23rd and 25th October. These shows will be performed at the Courtyard Theatre. CLICK HERE to find out more.

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 Code Tea Party was gifted by Broken Chair Productions, 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:

Sophie McQuillan as Mary Ann; Neale McDonald as Josh; Hussain Khan as Dr. Lapin / Gabe; Anni Koskela as Nurse 1; Linnea Lagerqvist as Nurse 2; Katya Sakhanevych as Maddy; Paul Musiol as Dr. Chenille / Mike

CREATIVES:

Writer and Director - Shannon Damery

RUNNING TIME (approx):

45 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Depictions of severe sickness, chronic illness, and death; References to suicide; Strong language

AGE GUIDELINE:

16+

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