REVIEW: LABOUR OF LOVE @ THE QUESTORS THEATRE

🎭 Labour of Love

📍 The Playhouse, The Questors Theatre, 12 Mattock Lane, London, W5 5BQ

🗓 Sunday 3rd May 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

CANVASSING FOR COMPASSION

It’s always a joy to be invited back to The Questors Theatre. There’s something about the buzz in that building - that mix of ambition and community - that just feels like "proper" theatre, and their latest offering, James Graham’s LABOUR OF LOVE, is a total cracker.

Now, Graham is the undisputed king of the political stage, but this one is a bit of a departure for him. Usually, he’s dramatising the big real-life figures - the titans of history we’ve all seen on the news. Here, he gives us David Lyons and Jean Whittaker. They aren’t real people, but goodness, they feel like they are.

The play is deeply rooted in history, acting as a sort of time-capsule for the Labour Party over 27 years from 1990. It uses these fictional "avatars" to play out the very real, very messy ideological tug-of-war between the modernising Blairites and the traditional, socialist heart and soul of the party’s Northern heartlands.

I absolutely loved the structure. The first act whisks us backwards through time, peeling away the layers of the characters’ relationship and showing us how they became who they are, before the second act brings us back toward the present day. It could have been a bit of a head-scratcher, but the timeline was incredibly easy to follow. A big part of that success was the inclusion of news reports from each era. They weren’t just background noise, they helped build a real sense of nostalgia and gave the political stakes a punchy, real-world context.

The set designs at The Questors are always impressive, and the staging here worked brilliantly. We’re in a single constituency office, but the attention to detail was just spot on. I found myself geekily tracking the evolution of the office technology - from those beige, clunky monitors of the 90s to the sleek laptops of today - and checking out what was pinned on the notice board. It’s this sort of nitty-gritty detail that really matters to the immersion of a period piece.

Of course, a play like this lives or dies on its central duo, and this show was anchored by two superb performances. Ant Foran is excellent as the polished, electable David Lyons. He catches that specific brand of politician charisma perfectly - the kind that is both charming and occasionally infuriating. Opposite him, Isabel Barbuk is an absolute force of nature as Jean Whittaker. She brings such a grit and warmth to the role, with their chemistry undeniably the engine of the play. That constant friction between David’s focus on the "Westminster bubble" and Jean’s community-driven principles is just fascinating to watch.

The supporting cast really rounds out this world, too. Victoria Smith is wonderfully sharp as Elizabeth Lyons, David’s wife, bringing a different kind of pressure to his political ambitions. Anthony Curran gives us a pitch-perfect Len Prior, and Michelle Openibo is a delight as Margot Midler - both adding those necessary layers of local personality that make the office feel lived-in and real.

A massive shout-out has to go to Anne Neville’s direction. She fills the space wonderfully. The layout at The Questors can be tricky, but she never forgets that the audience is on three sides of the action. The blocking is dynamic, and you never feel like you're missing out on a moment or looking at someone's back for too long. It kept the energy flowing through the space beautifully.

Look, this isn’t a high-energy thriller with massive twists and turns. It’s a smart, funny, and deeply human bit of storytelling that stays engaging from start to finish. If you want a play that makes you think as much as it makes you chuckle, then get yourself down to Ealing.

Performances of LABOUR OF LOVE continue at The Questors Theatre until Saturday 9th May. CLICK HERE 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 Labour of Love was gifted by The Questors Theatre 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:

Ant Foran as David Lyons; Isabel Barbuk as Jean Whittaker; Victoria Smith as Elizabeth Lyons; Anthony Curran as Len Prior; Michelle Openibo as Margot Midler; Yann Chow as Mr Chen; Ayobami Aina as Delivery Boy; Grace Chapman as Constituent

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 40 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strong language; Sexual innuendo and references

AGE GUIDELINE:

12+

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