REVIEW: PILLOW TALK @ GOLDEN GOOSE THEATRE

🎭 Pillow Talk

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

🗓 Wednesday 10th June 2026

⭐️ 3 Stars

A BIT OF A TOSS AND TURN

One of the best things about where I live in London is that I am within walking distance of so many wonderful fringe theatres, and last night I was back at one of these venues, the Golden Goose Theatre, to check out this new piece of writing. I was lucky and managed to dodge the showers so had a pleasant walk to the venue, which was full of anticipation. I was genuinely intrigued by this one.

The premise of PILLOW TALK focuses on Rachel and Ben, a couple who have been together for eight years. The entire storyline unfolds within the four walls of their bedroom, serving as a pressure cooker for their relationship. As the night unfolds, the setting becomes a backdrop for peeling back the layers of their history, forcing them to confront the secrets, unspoken grief, and shifting dynamics that they have spent nearly a decade avoiding.

If I'm honest, I have mixed feelings about this. I have to say though that the writing, for the most part, was really strong, with conversation seemingly flowing naturally and with a good rhythm. Sometimes the transitions between subjects felt a little clunky, but this was actually quite a minor quibble.

The actors – Nina Fidderman as Rachel and Gruff Williams as Ben – both gave believable performances throughout, and I enjoyed how we saw the playful side of their relationship, and the seemingly natural chemistry between the two before we really got into the guts of the performance.

The story is actually quite hard-hitting at times, and themes of things such as infertility are handled with respect. The level of acting was exceptionally high, although I did feel that there were occasions where Fidderman was so wrapped up in the emotion of the scene that she spoke too softly for me to hear all the words. I completely get it as she was really living in the moment, I just lost a little bit of the dialogue on occasion.

The intimate setting of the bedroom made it feel a bit voyeuristic at times. It was as if I was witnessing a private conversation between friends that I shouldn't have been privy to. It was a peek behind the closed doors of their relationship. The direction helped create the realism of the piece, with nothing feeling unnatural.

The set design was good, and it really felt like a lived-in room. I'm a bit of a technical nerd and I felt like the lighting here could have been a bit warmer, to match the intimacy of the writing and the setting. It was a bit stark and clinical in my personal opinion.

This is a great first outing for writer Rufaro Museva-Sauti, who shows great promise. On the whole, the script is strong, but I did have a few niggles. We learn at the start of the play that the couple have been together for around 8 years, but the jump to them having adopted two children, and then getting married, gives us no concept of how much time has passed between scenes. I would have liked this to have been clearer. I also struggled with the ending to be honest. I didn't understand how they went from marrying to deciding to separate... on the same day. I'd have liked to have seen more of that process. We saw Ben's pre-wedding jitters, but I just wanted a concrete transition to that separation decision.

The show was advertised as a 90 minute run time with an interval, but actually ran at a round hour without an interval. Perhaps the advertised run time would allow those missing connections to be filled in, because as much as I did enjoy this play, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing.

That being said, I am eager to see future works from Museva-Sauti, and would willingly pay to see these actors on stage again.

So a bit of a mixed review from me. I did enjoy the play - and it is good - but the potential is there to make it great for its next outing.

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 Pillow Talk was gifted by Cwtch 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:

Nina Fidderman as Rachel; Gruff Williams as Ben

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Adult language; Relationship conflict; Infertility; Sexual references

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

16+

To keep up to date with all the latest theatre news and more, follow Pink Prince Theatre on social media.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.