The Wasp

This week’s entertainment was at Circa Theatre, to see The Wasp. Normally we’d go together, but on this occasion, Nicola went and saw it a day early as she was auditioning for a part at Circa. The part for which she was trying out was not, alas, on the stage, but as an usher. Yes, she’ll be getting in to see some of the shows for free from now on (assuming she’s accepted!) whereas I’ll have to remain as a paying punter. On the downside, you don’t get to choose which show you have to ush (is that a word?), so may have to take the rough with the smooth.

As I was on my own I decided to try out Circa Theatre’s in-house food offerings. They have a short menu, from which I selected the dumplings. These were tasty, but somewhat overpowered by the chili sauce, which they were served in, rather than on the side.

The play is described as a thriller, and is a two-hander with Miriama McDowell and Bree Peters, both of whom we’ve seen before at Circa, notably in Burn Her. Heather and Carla were at school together, and meet again twenty years later. Their lives have diverged somewhat since school, and the meeting has been initiated by Heather, now living a comfortable middle-class existence, compared to Carla’s poverty. The difference between the two is not only class, however: there’s also the matter of babies. Heather has so far failed to conceive, whereas Carla is pregnant with her fifth. This becomes a crucial issue as the history of the two characters unfolds. Normally, I’d say “spoiler alert” but the play was first performed in the UK in 2015, so you may know how it ends. It’s also “in development” as a film, which means it may or may not come to fruition in the next twenty years.

As ever, the production is excellent, and the details are fascinating – down to Heather’s fluffy slippers. The ending is unexpected and shocking. Go see it!