REVIEW: SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA @ HOXTON HALL

🎭 Suppliants of Syris

📍 Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, Lonson, N1 6SH

🗓 Wednesday 4th March 2026

⭐️ 2 Stars

BORDER CROSSINGS, BUT NO CONNECTION

I really wanted to get behind this one. The intentions from Border Crossings are clearly gold-standard. Trying to bridge that 2,500-year gap between Aeschylus and the modern refugee crisis is a noble pivot. The reality is that intent doesn't always equal impact, and unfortunately, SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA falls into almost every trap in the "earnest political theatre" handbook.

Walking into Hoxton Hall, I was ready to be moved. Instead, I felt like I'd been sent back to a school assembly. There's a patronising tone throughout that talks down to the audience as if we're children who've never read the news. The script itself felt like a Wikipedia summary, lacking any real dramatic meat. When the actors were actually "acting", it felt less like professional theatre and more like a GSCE drama exam piece. This is because the writing is, frankly, extremely poor - shallow when it needs to be profound.

Then we get to the multimedia stuff. My god, the over-production. We're presented with filmed testimonies from real Syrian women, but their harrowing powerful stories are buried under layers of unnecessary "art". Everything felt overly choreographed and placed. Having multiple voices speaking slowly in unison over staged montages didn't add gravity; it just made the words lose all their power. Just let these women talk! Their lived experience is enough without the cinematic bells and whistles.

The most frustrating part is that the play seems to be self-aware to a fault. It constantly addresses its own flaws - like the fact that there are no Syrian people or women on the stage - as if pointing out a problem excuses it. It doesn't. We are repeatedly told that what we are watching is "powerful" and "deep", but I never actually felt it.

The interactive debate element was equally painful. In a staggering irony, one audience member stood up and made a more powerful, coherent statement in 60 seconds than the entire production managed in nearly two hours.

The only moment I felt actually pierced through the artifice was a simple clip of the director walking down a street with an iPhone after an earthquake. For a fleeting second, it felt real, raw, and urgent - even if the schmaltzy music over the top nearly ruined that too.

We were invited to stay for live music afterwards, but honestly, I couldn't get out of there fast enough. This show contains a vital message, and has obviously been created with nothing but good intentions, but is a total theatrical misfire.

Being the grandson of someone who found asylum in the UK, I was frustrated more than anything with this production. This was an opportunity to really show the harsh realities of what these people are going through, but ultimately I was disappointed with the level of style over substance.

As ever, I encourage you to make up your own mind. SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA continues performances at Hoxton Hall until Sunday 8th March. Click here for more information and 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 Suppliants of Syria was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting 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.

COMPANY:

Cast - Tobi King Bakare; Vlad Gurdis; Albie Marber

Artistic Director - Michael Walling

Associate Director - Lucy Dunkerley

Producer (Turkey) - Ilke Sanlier

Video Artist - Kıvanç Türkgeldi

Music - Dave Carey

Movement - Maria da Luz Ghoumrassi

RUNNING TIME (approx):

1 hour 55 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Detailed refrences to war, violence, rape, and displacement

AGE GUIDELINE:

14+

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