REVIEW: SKIN-FOR-SCALES @ THE HOPE THEATRE

🎭 Skin-For-Scales

📍 The Hope Theatre, 207 Upper Street, London, N1 1RL

🗓 Friday 28th August 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

A SPELLBINDING PIECE OF MYTHIC QUEER THEATRE

I almost didn't make it to The Hope Theatre in one piece last night. Some absolute maniac on a bicycle decided red lights were merely a suggestion and nearly took me out at a pedestrian crossing. After giving them a piece of my mind, I jumped on the Tube and headed up to Islington for the third time in as many days to catch the final day of North Sapph-Fest. Honestly, my Oyster card is crying, but my theatrical soul is thriving!

Heading up the stairs into the intimate black-box venue, I was instantly transported. The atmosphere swept me right out of London and straight to the coast, unlocking vivid memories of my own childhood growing up on the South Devon coastline. Before the play even properly began, the actors were positioned in the four corners of the space, silently building an intense air of mystery and anticipation for what was about to unfold.

SKIN-FOR-SCALES gives us a beautifully dramatic concept, focusing on Pardis, a land-stricken girl who desperately longs for the freedom of the sea. She encounters Ayda, an alluring mermaiden, at a cold, transitional shoreline. The two enter a bargaining state of transforming flux, attempting to trade "skin for aquatic scales" while navigating the restrictive borders, societal rules, and generational warnings passed down by those before them.

The play opens with a gorgeous, enchanting, folksy tune that acts as a recurring motif throughout the evening. This somewhat mythical sound completely encapsulates the tone of the piece, and the live vocals and harmonies from the company are nothing short of joyous.

Anayis N. Der Hakopian’s writing has a gloriously poetic, almost Shakespearean quality to it. The rhythm flows effortlessly, giving a real classical weight to the evening without ever feeling old-fashioned or alienating to a modern-day audience. There are times where it perhaps feels as if the script takes a long time to say something - where maybe a few too many words are being used - but that is a minor personal preference in an otherwise stunning text.

The ensemble cast here are fantastic, bringing a great believability to their roles as the two worlds of land and sea collide. Megan Eliza beautifully captures the deep, aching longing of Pardis. The onstage relationship between her and Ezzie Polat, who plays Ayda, completely swept us along for the ride. Whether it was a genuine, romantic love story or just a profound mutual desire to live each other's lives is entirely up for debate, and I kind of love that ambiguity.

The creative elements work incredibly well together. The costumes and tactile props successfully transform the black box into a living world, while the lighting design does wonders despite the technical limitations of a small fringe venue. Hakopian's direction fills the space wonderfully, ensuring the movement never feels static.

As regular readers know, I am a huge fan of queer storytelling. What is so refreshing here is that while the characters share a beautiful love story, it isn't met with the typical societal discrimination. SKIN-FOR-SCALES just shows a pure, mythic story without relying on the trauma dynamics we see so frequently in queer theatre.

It is a lovely, lyrical hour of fringe theatre that lingers long after the lights go down.

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 Skin-for-Scales was gifted by Matthew Parker PR, 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:

Megan Eliza as Pardis, the Land-Stuck Girl; Ezzie Polat as Ayda, the Leaving Mermaiden; Annabel Harb as Darya, the Ocean Mother; Josh Vaatstra as Hoghek, the Soil-Boy

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour, with no interval

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