Russell Tovey commanding in theatrical thriller

Donmar Warehouse

None of the critics went so far as to give it five stars, citing plot weaknesses, but the almost unanimous 4 star reviews spoke of the tenseness of this thriller which is told in real time. They all agreed that Russell Tovey gave a powerful performance as a cop on the edge handling emergency calls, and desperately trying to prevent a tragedy. Chloe Moss’ script adapted from the film played its part in creating a stressful hour, as did the direction by Felix Barrett, who directed Paranormal Activity.

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

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish summed up: ‘in a taut stage adaptation … Russell Tovey delivers a solo tour de force as Joe, answering calls on a shift fraught with life-and-death decisions.’ He went on: ‘We picture the unfolding scene with him, and are taken inside a kind of labyrinth. It’s a twisty tale, but as it elicits one satisfying surprise after another, it probes something existential and timely: how thin the line is between those who protect us and those who threaten us, and how narrow the gap is, too, between cool certainty and wild conjecture. It’s a gripping portrait of one man in extremis, but, with adrenal force, it inculpates us all, too.’

The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar called it ‘a fantastically theatrical experience, part crime thriller and part ghost story…with the kind of razor suspense that fills you with dread and leaves you palpitating.’ She continued: ‘this is the most thrilling and visceral drama. Not a minute wasted, not a beat missed. No less than a white knuckle ride.’ She observed: ‘Moss manages to add the desperation and helplessness of those suffering extreme mental states and the sense of desertion they feel from wider systems. It is subtle social commentary but also feels human and utterly tragic.’

Dominic Maxwell of The Times enthused: ‘The Guilty is a delight, fast-moving and genuinely theatrical in the way it puts you in its hero’s head. Tovey is exceptional: a huge stage presence, yes, but one who always looks driven by events rather than any desire to impress.’ He concluded: ‘an ending of Greek dramatic proportions teeters into melodrama. No matter: the ride is what matters, the ride delivers.’

‘Adaptor Chloë Moss and director Felix Barrett have created a wholly theatrical, palm-sweating marvel’ said Anya Ryan for LondonTheatre. She ended: ‘Supported by an ever-varied, tremendous, unseen voice cast, the four walls of the call room expand out. We hear children, distressed neighbours, Joe’s laddish mates, and another policeman on trial, all through a phone line. But so strong is the acting, we can picture them, too. In the final section, the twists arrive fast and furious, with the final set-breaking-apart image being one of pure dramatic gold.’

The Stage‘s Sam Marlowe pointed out: ‘alongside the play’s nail-biting tension is a preoccupation with the gaps between what we see and what we assume, and the ways in which our minds can play tricks on us when we only know half the story. The production is directed by Felix Barrett – who … is adept at springing surprises and subverting expectations. He and Moss have plenty of impish fun shredding our nerves and leading us down narrative rabbit holes, aided by a superlative, sweatily intense solo onstage performance by Russell Tovey.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski considered elements of the production: ‘Subtle shifts in light and the crackly strangeness of the calls he receives take on a feverish, nocturnal quality, only growing stranger as the show wears on.’ He decided: ‘Barrett’s direction provides an alluring air of ambiguity, but at the same time it’s mostly a bloody good real-time thriller. Running to just an hour, some of the plot twists are a touch melodramatic, but they have a rollercoaster momentum that means there’s no pause to be cynical, as Tovey’s character makes one fateful decision after the other, in the moment.’

The Financial Times’ Sarah Hemming was another critic impressed by the director: ‘Barrett skilfully uses the power of the onstage monologue and the electricity of live theatre to depict Joe’s isolation and to fuse his critical dependence on phones with the fear of voices in his head and his disintegrating mental state. Gareth Fry’s superb sound design throbs, crackles, creates a range of both realistic and disturbing offstage scenarios down the line, and plays its part in a revealing coup de théâtre at the end. There’s a slightly queasy mismatch between the thriller format and the gravity of the issues it covers (post-partum psychosis, for example), some plot twists grate, and there’s a streak of melodrama to the ending. But then we are never sure what is real and what is not: how much of it is in Joe’s head; how much of it is in our own.’

Commenting on director Felix Barrett, The Standard‘s Nick Curtis declared: ‘There is surely no more effective manipulator of mood and pace working in British theatre today. I can feel my scalp tightening, thinking again about the chilling surprises The Guilty meticulously springs in both plot and staging.’

BroadwayWorld‘s Aliya Al-Hassan was impressed by the star: ‘Russell Tovey is utterly compelling as Joe: quick to anger with a caller ringing about a neighbour’s loud party, tender with his own daughter and increasingly frantic as he tries everything within his restricted power to help Emily. Tovey carries conviction into every action, from the mundane dropping of an antacid into a glass of water to his panicky pacing liked a caged animal.’ She paid tribute to the creative team: ‘Gareth Fry’s sound design is simply exceptional, creating stark clarity between the multiple callers and Joe’s own voice. As a clock ticks ominously in the windowless space, down the various lines, sirens blare out, rain steadily falls and muffled background sounds all create a highly realistic reflection of the world outside. This is all aided beautifully by lighting designer Anna Watson who creates a flat and airless space which occasionally shifts into something completely different.’

3 stars

WhatsOnStage‘s Sarah Crompton found much to admire : ‘Tovey is superb, commanding the stage, his reactions – a fractional raise of the eyebrows when someone annoys him, a rising sense of involvement and concern when he realises he truly is in the midst of an emergency, a flash of anger when his wife tries to cut him off – always readable, always convincing (…) It is a brilliantly contrived and executed theatrical experience.’ However:  ‘My problem was that I didn’t believe it. I couldn’t buy the idea that a man in Joe’s position would be entrusted – alone – with such a job, or that he would react in quite the ways he does. I couldn’t suspend my disbelief, so I was always distanced from what is undoubtedly an extraordinarily gripping and clever piece.’

Critics’ average rating 3.9⭑

The Guilty can be seen at The Donmar Warehouse until 15 August 2026. Buy tickets directly from the theatre 

Click here to read Paul Seven’s review here

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