Review: GRUD, Hampstead Theatre

Sarah Power’s Grud is a show about space – in more ways than one. When Bo joins an after school club mission to send a model robot into the stars, it causes the space between her home life and the rest of the world to narrow until it disappears completely.

Grud follows sixth form student Bo (Catherine Ashdown), whip-smart but something of a loner. At Space Club, she meets Aicha (Kadiesha Belgrave), a kooky, high-energy science geek and the unlikely pair develop a close friendship. Unbeknownst to her new friend, Bo is struggling to deal with her father, Grud (Karl Theobald), whose alcohol problems are worsening by the day.

Among the Hampstead Downstairs’ often intellectual programming, Grud is surprisingly simple. The straightforward plot has all the hallmarks of a compelling social drama, of the kind that would be at home as a BBC mini series. Nonetheless, clever staging and standout performances ensure the show stays immensely watchable from start to finish.

Noemi Daboczi’s set separates the two spaces of the Physics classroom and Bo’s family flat with a steep wooden slope. As the play progresses, the barrier between these two worlds steadily blurs: beer trickles down into the classroom, furniture is shifted, and eventually the trauma of Bo’s family life spills over and pollutes everything else. Daboczi’s design also features a stunning reveal, disrupting the stage space for a moment of magic. The Hampstead Downstairs continues to be a real hub for exciting designers, completely transforming for each new production.

Director Jaz Woodcock-Stewart, better known for her devised work with her company Antler, uses the set cleverly, moving the characters between worlds. This leads to a few outstanding moments, such as one where Bo is having an upbeat chat with Aisha while simultaneously cradling her drunken father.  At the same time, however, establishing this split stage leads to some clumsy transitions, especially earlier in the play.

Grud is a fantastic example of the importance of space in storytelling. Power writes in the programme that she wanted to express ‘the feeling of standing between two parts of your life and trying to keep them separate from each other’ – this is exactly what the production gets across, and where its strength really lies. Despite the plot itself being somewhat predictable, this central, universal feeling of being caught between two realities keeps it feeling true. 

The believability of Grud also comes from some inspired casting choices. Both of the show’s young leads recently graduated from Central School of Speech and Drama – just across the road from the theatre. As Bo, Catherine Ashdown proves herself as one to watch, tackling a tricky emotional journey with skill and vulnerability and rendering many of her scenes hard to watch. Her ability to portray fear without leaning into melodrama is one of the production’s secret weapons. Meanwhile, Kadiesha Belgrave is a star as Aicha, her perfect comedic timing winning the audience over from her first few lines. Karl Theobald as Grud brings some nice nuance to a deceptively simple role, despite the occasional moment of cliched drunk stumbling.

Power’s writing demonstrates a knack for realistic dialogue and humour, as well as compelling interpersonal dynamics. The issue with this particular project is that it fails to say anything new. There’s no denying it’s well written, but unfortunately the story itself never really goes anywhere unexpected. This also leaves the run time feeling somewhat long; this is a show focussing on character development rather than plot progression, meaning it could have been tighter. 

Grud may not be anything cutting edge, but it has a lot of heart, and showcases two young actresses who deserve to have long careers. It’s a very watchable play that tackles family trauma and alcoholism with empathy, honesty, and care. 

Grud runs at Hampstead Theatre (Downstairs) until 3 August.

Image Credit: Alex Brenner

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