Alone Review: Alchemy Theatre’s Gripping Space Drama Returns to the Fringe
- London Theatre Doc
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
★★★★★
Alone grips from the first burst of static and never loosens. Alchemy Theatre return to the Fringe with Luke Thornborough’s two actor space survival drama, driven by the performances and the story.
It unfolds in real time aboard a failing spacecraft, yet the real suspense comes from two women forced to rely on each other when trust is fragile and the stakes could not be higher. Jessica Holland is a gifted pilot with a taste for rock, played with spark and steel by Courtney Bassett. Opposite her, Anthea Freya Hill gives Dr Sarah Taylor fierce intelligence and hard won resilience that carries the bruises of being overlooked in science. The heartbeat is in the shifting balance between them, and the casting ensures those turns land with weight.
The achievement lies in its focus. The production avoids gimmicks and puts faith in two compelling performances, a taut script and precise direction. The design strikes exactly the right note: enough detail to create ambience and suggest the ship’s atmosphere, but never so much that it tips into space opera. Sound and light sharpen the tension without intruding, keeping the relationship front and centre. The result is tight, intimate and deeply engaging.
Thornborough threads big ideas through the suspense without slackening the pace. Women in STEM, the politicising of science and the climate emergency hum under the surface, charging every decision the characters make. It never forgets to thrill, and it also has something urgent and necessary to say.
By the end I realised I had been holding my breath. The final image knocks the wind out, then leaves a pilot light glowing. Alone is tense, relevant and unexpectedly tender. A thrilling story told with heart and precision.
Show information
Venue: George Square, The Box
Dates: 30 July to 24 August (no performances 11 & 20 August)
Time: 13:00
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