The Wasp - Southwark Playhouse - Borough

Friday 8th May 2026
"The Wasp"
Southwark Playhouse - Borough
⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars)



Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s The Wasp is back in London, 11 years after its initial debut, now playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough.

Carla (Serin Ibrahim) walks on stage, cigarette in hand, busy scrolling through social media while she waits for Heather (Cassandra Hercules), who suddenly asked to meet 20 years after they last saw each other. Their awkward catch-up quickly reveals how different their lives have become since school. The contrast between them is immediately apparent.

Carla wears trackies and big earrings and is heavily pregnant with her fifth child, cigarette still in hand. Heather is her compete opposite, a well-off, middle-class woman in refined clothing, holding tight a bright red leather bag. Heather’s seemingly perfect life, with a husband and beautiful home, is falling apart. Not only is the couple struggling to conceive, but Heather has also found out Simon is being unfaithful for two years. She’s had enough, something has to change… so then comes a twisted idea.

The red bag opens to reveal a huge pile of cash as Heather makes Carla a shocking proposition that could completely change both of their lives.

The less you know about where The Wasp goes from there, the better.

The play constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat, revealing new layers to both women and forcing you to rethink everything you’ve just watched. It touches heavy themes, from troubled childhoods and class differences to trauma, sexual violence, revenge and the complexity of being a human.

Ibrahim plays a Carla who feels almost simple and yet witty, chaotic and at times unexpectedly vulnerable. While Hercules works hard at slowly peeling back the multiple layers of her character. The chemistry between them is clearly what holds the play together, especially during the first act, set in almost barren stage. Only in the second act does Jana Lakatos’ set design get to shine, letting us into Heather’s luxuriously decorated house.

Directed by James Haddrell, the production does a great job of building suspense, especially in the first half while the second act could have been slightly trimmed down, A repeated stylistic choice where scenes fade to black before replaying from slightly different perspectives works well in the beginning but it’s used so often that it quickly loses impact and feels gimmicky. It’s a shame, as it really does work as intended toward the end of the play, adding more insight into the characters.
The Wasp is a dark and tense play that investigates into the complexities of human nature though a thrilling narrative. Discover its secrets until May 30 at Southwark Playhouse Borough.

🎟️ https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-wasp/

Written By: Klaire Di Matte

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