Review: The Last Vagabonds, Alma Tavern & Theatre – ‘A brilliant and compelling piece of theatre’

Returning to the Alma Tavern & Theatre with their third production, The Last Vagabonds, Worms Theatre Company present a riveting day in the life of a quintessential Generation Z princeling.

It is perhaps the most personal piece of theatre to date for writer and co-director Teddy Monroe, whose previous works include Pale Wife, Factory Slug, Limp Man and a Black Hole.

The action opens with two young men – protagonist Bill, and best friend Rob – staring vacantly at a computer screen, consuming content from their daily video-sharing platform of choice. In the background, the inimitable voice of celebrity chef Marco Pierre White can be heard, offering his wisdom on how to achieve fulfilment in life.

We watch the friends sitting aimlessly, engaging in inane conversations. Bill is a university student dutifully studying economics to please his family, and without enjoyment. His relationship with his parents, fractious at best, barely conceals a veil of resentment.

Into this rather apathetic atmosphere enters Hope, a young female climate activist, who Bill bumps into on the street while she is participating in a protest. Is this girl, in very real terms, a representation of the last hope for Bill in a life otherwise characterised by his own narcissism? Or is she just another passive encounter in his self-serving dealings?

It’s a refreshingly original basis for a play. As Monroe appears on stage as the internal voice of Bill, it’s not without a Freudian slant, too. This voice interjects and pulls faces as required, serving both as a mirror and an amplifier to Bill’s innermost thoughts which, to others, he conceals under a crumbling façade of charm.

Monroe dissects middle-class values with a healthy dose of cynicism and skepticism. One of the most heard platitudes among affluent circles is that they work very hard, unlike other – less successful – part of the general population. But for whom? For the betterment of society? Or just in order to maximise their personal wealth and influence? Are these self-serving people merely byproducts of a capitalist system? It’s a question that leaves the audience with much to ponder.

The cast are, to a person, impressive. Jasper Price is a revelation in the titular role as Bill, slick and sophisticated while beautifully capturing the conflicting emotions that are plaguing Bill’s conscience.

Poppy Arnold shines as Hope, balancing the white-hot courage of a climate activist – out slashing the tyres of SUVs – with the warmth and kindness of a prospective girlfriend. And George Pack, who has appeared in previous Worms productions, certainly does not disappoint as Rob. His delivery is pitched with appropriate subtlety; testament to his craft as a theatre performer.

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Ella Strauss and Jamie Egan in the characters of Bill’s parents show an emotional intensity and empathy that really strikes a chord. Perhaps they show themselves to be the ultimate victims of the play, searching for gratification under the yoke of addictive consumerism and frenzied work practices.

Co-directors Monroe and Jessica Millson show demonstrable vision, flair and artistic conviction in their choices, while Ruth Skirrow’s casting is immaculate.

The raucous standing ovation at the curtain call – from a thoroughly enthralled Alma Tavern & Theatre audience – was a deserved seal of approval.

Follow future news and events from Worms Theatre Company @worms.theatre.company.

All photos: Teddy Monroe

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