The Lodger

The Old Red Lion

28^th September 

Rating: 5 Stars

 

What’s this? A review from September 2025, being posted in January 2026?! One of the scariest things about being a part-time reviewer is realizing how quickly things can get away from you, and how far you can fall behind. 

 

However……..

 

I just found out that Flywheel Reps production of ‘The Lodger’ is returning to the stage for 2026! So, if you think about it, my review lateness was actually good time management, and excellent publicity planning……yeah, enough of my excuses, let’s dive into the review!

 

It was a dark night on the foggy streets of Victorian London. Somewhere in the twisting lanes of this haunted city, a killer is on the loose. Not a woman in the capital is safe! There’s more than a hint of the 1888 Jack the Ripper case here, as Flywheels’ adaptation combines elements from both Marie Belloc-Lowndes novel and the Hitchcock movie of the same name. However, it is in its connection with the latter that this production really leaves its mark.

 

Director/actor Jack Robertson really puts his cast through their paces, as together they masterfully craft a beautiful homage to the silent horror genre. That’s right, I said silent horror! The cast never speaks, at least not in the conventional sense. In what can only be described as an act of pure genius, the production interweaves shadow puppetry with classic Victorian silent melodrama. To put it simply, when the lights dim and our attention shifts to a small booth situated center stage, we become witnesses to the world outside that represented by the larger stage…….Okay that sounded like bad poetry. To put it more bluntly, the silent action on stage is set in a Victorian guesthouse, whilst the action shown by the shadow puppets is that of the world outside. Here puppeteers Ben Hastings and Sadie Pepperell really show off their skills. In my mind there is nothing worse than bad puppetry, and this is far from bad. Hastings and Pepperell bring finesse, timing and dedication in the expert crafting of their miniature Victorian London. 

 

But what of the action on stage?  Since at its heart ‘The Lodger’ is a murder mystery, with elements of horror and comedy, the last thing I want to do is give away too much. So with that in mind, here’s a spoiler free summary…..

 

When Mr and Mrs Bunting (Jack Robertson & Rachel Bardwell) open up their home to a mysterious Lodger (Charlie Woodward), drama quickly comes knocking. With the return of Mr Buntings showgirl daughter Daisy (Kezia Hayes) emotions immediately start to run high, especially when you add a trigger-happy inspector (Gabriel Lumsden) as a hapless suitor. What follows is an hour’s worth of mystery, betrayal, danger, tension and a dash of physical comedy, all covered by the menacing shadow of the ripper inspired murderer ‘The Avenger’. 

 

From a performance standpoint, there is not a single weak link in the cast. What Robertsons’ cast does is pure magic. From the moment the play starts we are transported back in time, to a medium of a bygone era. ‘The Lodger’ perfectly balances the best elements of silent comedy and old school horror. Both Robertson and Lumsden are responsible for carrying the plays comedic elements, which they do with exemplary skill and charm. Robertson himself evokes the heartwarming, gentle bumbling and grumbling nature of Oliver Hardy, setting himself up as a well-meaning yet hapless patriarch. Alongside him, Lumsden offers a delightful mix of both Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, as his inspector doggedly pursues both the murderous Avenger and the young miss Daisy. 

 

Speaking of Daisy, Kezia Hayes portrayal is one which could stand alongside the silent eras greatest damsels (Kathlyn Williams and Gloria Swanson eat your heart out). There’s a purity to her performance, which makes the audience pray that she won’t find herself as the avengers next victim. 

 

Now from the light to the darkness, a special shout out must go to both Charlie Woodward and Rachel Bardwell for bringing tension and layers of threat to the stage. Bardwells’ take on Mrs Bunting (aka Daisys stepmother) was diabolically evil. Equal parts ‘Rebeccas’ Mrs Danvers and ‘Cinderellas’ Lady Tremaine,Bradwell is endlessly watchable.  However, in a cast of amazing performers Charlie Woodward stood out. I’ve seen many reviews comparing him favorable to Hitchcocks Lodger Ivor Novello, although true, to me Woodward also brought to mind a young Bela Lugosi. With a mere shift of the eyes he was effortlessly able to move from threat to tenderness. 

‘The Lodger’ is everything you could want in the retelling of a classic thriller. It honoured the original source material, whilst developing it for a new audience. Classy, enthralling and hauntingly beautiful, ‘The Lodger’ gets my pic for Best Show of 2025!