Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Brainsluts

 
Isabella Thompson Review by Isabella Thompson 4 Published: 9 Aug 2025 Pleasance Dome Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-25 Aug 2025

Written by Dan Bishop and directed by Noah Geelan, this sharp comedy takes us through five consecutive Sunday meet-ups for a clinical drug trial. Four strangers, delightfully mismatched, are overseen by Dr. Evans (Emmeline Downie), who guides us through their weekly progress. With quick wit, strong performances, and a thought-provoking core, Brainsluts is both an enticing watch and a timely commentary on the gig economy.

Each character reflects a different facet of society’s transactional flaws.

The show’s greatest strength lies in its richly drawn characters, each of whom feels vividly real and multidimensional. Duggan (Robert Preston) is the group’s rogue charmer and likely crowd favourite—an oddball desperate to be everyone’s mate yet perpetually met with the cold shoulder. Preston’s off-beat timing and earnest delivery make him magnetic to watch and deserve high praise, especially opposite Kathy Maniura’s Bathsheba: a blissfully unaware, job-juggling free spirit. Bishop’s own Mitch, an anti-job activist surviving on flyers and rebellion, pairs neatly with Bethan Pugh’s Yaz, a twitchy “nepo baby” whose godmother conveniently runs the drug company. Their tentative romance slyly riffs on the flippancy of modern relationships and the transactional nature of connection—perfectly in step with the play’s critique of the gig economy. Each character, in fact, reflects a different facet of society’s transactional flaws, allowing Bishop’s commentary to seep through the play without ever feeling heavy-handed.

Bishop’s writing is sharpest in the group scenes: a guided meditation derailed by Duggan and Mitch’s spiralling neuroses (while trialling an anti-anxiety drug, no less) is a particular standout. Equally compelling is a tender moment between Dr. Evans and Duggan, rooted in her heartbreak, which places her on equal footing with the trial participants—another breadcrumb pointing to our shared interconnectedness. Downie shines here, her nuanced tenderness both truthful and quietly devastating.

The pacing is well-judged, balancing entertainment with social critique—a notoriously tricky feat pulled off here with aplomb. That said, not every beat lands: a few character decisions feel ungrounded, and Bathsheba’s story arc leans into caricature without the moment of stripped-back vulnerability afforded to the others.

Still, the intelligence of the writing endures, as do the standout performances. The ending is brilliant, leaving the possibility of the group meeting again hanging in the air, offering a glimmer of hope against a clear-eyed portrait of modern isolation and competition.

Witty, perceptive, and carried by a cast at the top of their game, Brainsluts is comedy with both brains and bite.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

Brainsluts: a slang term used for participants of clinical drugs trials. Five Sundays. Five strangers. One mystery drug. As the trial unfolds, these guinea pigs will discover the sheer lengths each of them will go just to fill the silence. Oversharing ensues, secrets emerge and the stresses of their precarious lives are laid bare. This may not be the dream, but if they listen to each other, they might just learn something. Or maybe they won't. A new comedy play by Dan Bishop: 'Clever, fast and funny' (BeyondTheJoke.co.uk). 'Immensely fruitful... smart writing' (Chortle.co.uk). Charlie Hartill Finalist 2025.