The worst play of 2026?

Riverside Studios

Affluenza , written and directed by Andy Sandberg, is a candidate for the worst play of the year according to the critics. Why? ‘It’s not deep nor funny, it lacks pace and determination, and it’s ultimately an atrocious watch’ (BroadwayWorld). The stage debut of Noah Schnapp didn’t save it: ‘Schnapp is the main draw but doesn’t have much to do in either of his thinly-sketched roles beyond swear and strop around’ (WhatsOnStage).

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

2 stars ⭑⭑

Aliya Al-Hassan for LondonTheatre suggested: ‘A dramaturg is urgently needed to add structure to a production that goes off on bizarre and unnecessary tangents’. She described it as ‘a missed opportunity to say anything thoughtful at all.’

Holly O’Mahony for The Stage found: ‘it grows increasingly directionless and leaves you unsure of exactly what it is you have just watched.’

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis reported: ‘For the record, Schnapp is fine, and Manrara isn’t bad, but there’s no real depth to anyone or anything here.’

1 star ⭑

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar was puzzled that ‘Both (Schapp’s) characters are supporting parts, taking up so little oxygen on stage that you wonder why anyone would cast a big name and then tuck it away in two bit-parts?’ Similarly, ‘Janette Manrara is acting rather than foxtrotting here, but again plays a host of tiny roles’. In fact, she was mystified by the whole play: ‘It is hard to decipher what we are watching here – comedy, drama or a theatrical car crash in slow motion.’

Theo Bosanquet for WhatsOnStage declared: ‘it goes on one of the most head-scratchingly befuddling narrative trajectories I’ve ever seen on stage.’ He notedf: ‘Schnapp is the main draw but doesn’t have much to do in either of his thinly-sketched roles beyond swear and strop around, while Young is convincing as the lawyer but woefully miscast as the adult Noah’.

Cindy Marcolina let rip in her BroadwayWorld review: ‘It’s almost unimportant to talk about the performances, as none of them make a difference. Young is the most impressive of the bunch, maintaining a steady tone throughout. Schnapp is merely adequate, but the script wouldn’t allow him to be anything else. The rest of the cast amble between wooden, overdramatic, underachieving, and eager to see the curtain drop. It’s understandable: AFFLUENZA doesn’t add anything to the landscape. It’s not deep nor funny, it lacks pace and determination, and it’s ultimately an atrocious watch. ‘

Louise Penn for Plays International complained: ‘Affluenza is a victim of its own self-importance, and by the end it has collapsed into a ridiculous turn of events blighted by pizza boxes, shouting, and a plot which is impossible to follow. When so little of a play makes sense, it is hard to recommend it on any level.’

‘Unfortunately there’s not an ounce of subtlety in the script or Sandberg’s direction’ said The Times’ Clive Davis.

Critics’ average rating 1.4⭑

Affluenza can be seen at Rioverside Studios until 28 November 2026. Buy tickets from riversidestudios.co.uk

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