Review: Union at Arcola Theatre

Tuesday 25th July 2023 at Arcola Theatre, London.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reviewer: Charlotte Dawes

As society grapples with the complexities of maintaining community roots during redevelopment, Union offers a compelling perspective of the gentrification happening around us in London.

Directed by Wiebke Green, Union tackles this multi-faceted process through Saskia, played by Dominique Tipper, a property developer on the eve of the biggest deal of her career. After running away from a meeting set to sign off a deal, Saskia embarks on a journey down the Grand Union Canal to Stratford. She is forced to reflect on her role in dismantling local communities through a variety of characters from her past and present, all played by Andre Bullock and Sorcha Kennedy. Through such interactions, she faces a stark realisation that her successful career has left her detached from her beginnings.

Dominique Tipper gives a captivating performance as the increasingly tormented Saskia and the intimate nature of the Arcola Theatre allows her to connect with the audience almost immediately with her explosive self-promoting soliloquy. It is not long before Tipper peels back Saskia’s confident exterior, giving us a glimpse at her nuanced thoughts on the repercussions of her actions and playing both sides with the required intensity and care.

Tipper is ably supported by Bullock and Kennedy who masterfully play 16 characters between them, through use of clever subtle costume changes, and effective lighting by Martha Godfrey. A real standout performance comes from Kennedy as one of her characters, an older lady named Kerry, artfully depicts the harsh realities of Saskia’s role as developer.

Writer Max Wilkinson brilliantly articulates the cognitive dissonance a lot of us face with gentrification. Whilst it may sometimes feel like a one-sided view, Union manages to find real moments of still and reflection amidst an abundance of dark humour (it will be difficult for any Londoner not to laugh at the idea of Pret taking up some real estate on the moon), making it a powerful and thought-provoking piece of theatre.

Union is playing at the Arcola Theatre, London until 12 August 2023. More information and tickets can be found here.