Review: SMOKE, King's Head Theatre

One-man shows exploring the queer experience have become a powerful voice in London’s theatre landscape and are rightly celebrated by venues. Jack Holden’s groundbreaking Cruise, for example, offers a focused and incisive reflection on past and present queer lives. However, with the richness of themes within queer experiences, it’s easy for such shows to risk overreaching and losing clarity amid their ambitious scope. Smoke by Alexis Gregory, despite its intention to address important issues, struggles under the weight of its focus, ultimately diluting the impact of its intended messages.

The most compelling part of Smoke lies in its exploration of mental health and the lasting consequences of grief. However, these themes are overshadowed by an attempt to comment on nearly every conceivable queer issue—masculinity, familial acceptance, drug culture, hookup apps, dating culture, and even an oddly aggressive take-down of a 'demon twink'.  Admittedly, speaking as a ‘twink’ myself, this characterisation still felt misplaced and contradictory to the supposed celebratory nature of the piece.

The story centres on Alex, who lost his partner Ben two years ago. While some, including Ben’s mother, attribute Ben’s death to their ‘lifestyle,’ others might recognise the genuine sadness of Ben’s passing, a victim of the darker, more sinister facets of party and drug culture. When Ben’s Instagram account is hacked, Alex spirals into the depths of psychosis and grief, suspecting everyone—from Starbucks baristas to shopkeepers, fellow commuters, and even Ben’s mother—of being involved.

There’s real potential here for an insightful commentary on the all-consuming nature of grief and mental health struggles, how they cloud judgement and obscure morals, but this is lost in a muddled, over-expository text that prioritises throwaway gay jokes over a deeper dive into these crucial issues.

Gregory performs in a bare setting, with minimal lighting and sound design and a notably confined space to roam. He connects well with the audience, sharing some warm interactions with those in the front row. However, Smoke lacks the strength to fully succeed in this stripped-down setup. As the play unfolds, the audience becomes uncomfortably aware of each other’s presence, and it feels more like watching a workshop than a polished performance.

I hope the team behind Smoke takes the opportunity to redevelop the piece—dive deeper, find more nuance, and hone in on the message they want to convey. With this, Smoke could evolve into a genuinely interesting, fresh take on the queer narrative.

Smoke runs until 11 November at King's Head Theatre

Photo Credit: Tyler Kelly 

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