Review: AFTER PARTY, Tron Theatre

After Party promises a satirical bash but feels more like an awkward hangover. Though advertised as a personal autobiography exploring the New Labour era, it comes across as a blend of political diatribes, lengthy news segments, and sporadic audience interaction.

Annie Lowry Thomas is a great actor, and the performance becomes truly engaging the few times it delves into the personal. For example, I would have loved to hear more about her parents or her own connection to politics growing up. Unfortunately the piece leans heavily on esoteric knowledge of UK politics and politicians. As someone who grew up abroad, I found much of it difficult to grasp and inherently inaccessible. That said, other audience members with a deeper familiarity with the subject seemed to enjoy it more.

Some audience interaction bits were fun and I appreciated the metaphor of a party full of broken promises and false connections. If you're a diehard fan of UK politics you might like it, which is why I've upped my star rating a tad. Otherwise, I'd give this one a miss.

After Party was at The Tron Theatre until the 5 September.

Photo Credit: After Party