REVIEW: HERE LIES HENRY @ ETCETERA THEATRE

🎭 Here Lies Henry

📍 Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High Street, London, NW1 7BU

🗓 Friday 29th May 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

A VISUAL ECHO OF A FRACTURED PSYCHE

There is nothing quite like arriving in Camden on a bustling evening. Walking up Camden High Street is always a total treat for the senses. It genuinely makes me feel like this is the exact place where "Rhythm of London" from the Paddington musical was written - it has just got that exact vibrant, eclectic vibe about it. Frankly, it is the perfect setting for a wacky, wonderful piece of theatre like this.

HERE LIES HENRY marks the very first production from the brand-new En Limbo Theatre Company. This is a passion project through and through, born from a deep, burning desire by the creatives to put this specific script on stage. In fact, this production signals the first professional production of the work on a London stage.

The play itself is a wild ride. It centres on Henry, a self-confessed liar standing alone in a room, tasked with telling the audience something we do not already know. As the show unfolds, you hit the sudden, clever realisation behind the title itself - a brilliant "aha!" moment that completely recontextualises what you are watching. What is so genius about Daniel MacIvor’s writing is that it poses loads of massive questions, yet never really answers them. The entire thing is completely open to interpretation, yet it remains utterly gripping from start to finish.

New kid on the block Kai A. Anderson is an absolute revelation as Henry. In one of the strongest acting performances I have seen on any stage this year, they captivate the audience with an endearing charm. Every single line lands exactly as intended; they are both devastating and hilarious in equal measure. Henry is a complex beast, but Anderson's use of direct address allows us to look right into the very soul of the character. They command the space with a mesmerising, raw vulnerability, shifting seamlessly from frantic energy to quiet, heartbreaking stillness. They hold the audience in the palm of their hand, matching the rhythmic poetry of the text with a physical and emotional precision that is rare for a newcomer.

Making up the rest of the En Limbo team alongside Anderson are director Emilia Acevedo Corona and producer Elena Spaven. Corona’s direction uses the intimate Etcetera space wonderfully. Combined with sharp movement direction from Marlo Rye, I loved how full the stage felt with just one person, a microphone, and a chair. Every inch of the stage is utilised to reflect the clutter of the protagonist's mind, making the minimalist setup feel incredibly grand. The audience is beautifully brought into the action too, with some genuinely comical interactions thrown in that break the tension at just the right moments.

Everything about this performance felt completely natural and free. It was incredibly easy to forget you were even watching a play, and instead feel like you were witnessing a real person having a massive existential crisis right in front of you. It is a powerful piece of work on the page, but this team has breathed such wonderful energy and life into it.

Regular readers of mine will know just how important the technical aspects of a production are to me, and the lighting design by Corona, operated by Lander Martinez, is utterly sublime. It does not over-complicate itself or try to be too clever with flashy, unnecessary tricks. Instead, it serves as the perfect visual echo of Henry's fractured psyche, carving out distinct atmospheric shifts that ground the monologue. Every cue does exactly what it needs to do to enhance the dramatic action, slicing through the darkness of the black box space with absolute, razor-sharp precision to elevate the emotional stakes at just the right moments.

The production is packed with fantastic creative decisions, and I especially liked the way the ending was executed. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't mention the details, but it creates a real talking point for a debrief in the pub downstairs afterwards.

There's only one more performance of HERE LIES HENRY remaining, tomorrow at 9pm. CLICK HERE to secure your tickets to this absolute masterclass in fringe theatre that will leave your head spinning in the best way possible. You do not want to miss it because to tell the truth, this is brilliant.

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 Here Lies Henry was gifted by En Limbo Theatre Company 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:

Kai A. Anderson as Henry

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 10 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

References to sex, arson, murder, abuse, suicide/self harm, and violence: Bad language; Partial nudity; Strobe and flashing lights

AGE GUIDANCE:

16+

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