Mr Stevens Review

November 7, 2025

Mr Stevens Review

3rd – 8th November 2025

Have you ever been at a funeral and felt like maybe you shouldn’t be there?

Perhaps you made awkward small talk with the widow and seemed to make her feel worse, rather than better?

Or maybe the funeral was overrun with scruffy teenagers to honour their dead teacher? And the dead teacher’s best friend played the bagpipes despite everyone’s dismay? And it turns out the dead teacher actually had an affair with his teenage pupil before he died? Or did he?

“This debut play from Isabella Garland is striking and clever”

Mr Stevens is the dark new comedy-drama from Parkhouse Theatres, their third production following the smash-hit Under the Table earlier this year (which we gave five stars). This debut play from Isabella Garland is striking and clever, and shows the company has continued to tackle challenging issues with both brave nuance and a gentle touch.

The play opens with Mr Stevens’ wife, Rose (Caitlin Florence-Rose), having a panic attack on stage. This panic attack becomes a motif for high-tensioned moments throughout the play, and you can’t help but find your own breath getting caught in your throat too. It’s a powerful tool that evokes how out-of-control these characters feel, all seeming to live in the shadow of a man who is no longer alive.

Taking place in a courtyard outside Mr Stevens’ wake, we get to see the conversations being hidden away from those inside: the secrets spilled, gestures of love shared, and arguments had. I loved this setting and particularly enjoyed how director Aaron Thacker had used the space in a way that gave the story great pace. For a setting that does not change, there was a compelling sense of movement, with the characters constantly appearing and disappearing from the stage like a carousel.

In the main, we follow Lily (played by writer Isabella Garland), a teenager who claims she had a relationship with Mr Stevens. Lily’s character is complicated. She’s not very likeable and never comes across as the victim, which you would usually expect in a play such as this. It’s clear she doesn’t pity herself, but she is confused and being hit with waves of emotion that make little sense to herself, let alone those around her. A complex and startling character, I loved the way she was written.

This was contrasted with her best friend Arlo (Ieuan Siôn Bradley), who stole the show for me in terms of performance. An incredibly likeable character, he was so natural and in tune with everyone else on stage, and his comedic timing was second to none. I’m still chuckling over that unforgettable Wallace and Grommet impression. He also had great chemistry with Lily’s ex-best friend, Julia (Julia-Hetta Johnson), particularly in the scene where they’re smoking together for the first time, perfectly encompassing teenage rebellion.

Each of these scenes are interspersed with light relief from an ensemble of fellow teenagers that are disruptive and crude to add a playful element to the show. Their presence at the funeral demonstrates just how likeable a teacher Mr Stevens was amongst his pupils, adding an extra layer of betrayal.

Fellow teachers Mr and Mrs Hobbs (Jowan Jacobs and Louise Nicholls) brought contrasting awkward presences to their scenes. Mr Hobbs was blunt and a slightly uncomfortable presence, whilst Mrs Hobbs was warm with a gawky quality that made her a delight to watch on stage. Both added great colour to the performance and had starkly different approaches on how they wanted to handle the situation.

In the background of all this is the mellow Rose, Mr Steven’s widow, who shows us the tangled and uncomfortable feelings that accompany grief. Her monologue in the latter part of the play was truly moving. It showed how each of these characters had experienced different sides of Mr Stevens, but that doesn’t make those versions any less true. I also felt her relationship with her son, Leo (Daniel Metcalfe), was touching and the way he grappled with his choice of whether to expose his step-father was honest and raw.

Overall, Mr Stevens is a well-written and well-cast play making a difficult but important topic incredibly watchable. It sprinkles in just the right amount of humour whilst still exploring the necessary complexities and nuances that are felt by the victim and those that surround them, showing the ripple effect of those actions.