Thereās something both charming and quietly shattering aboutĀ Tealight. Josh Maughanās one-man show feels like youāve stumbled into a late-night conversation – equal parts overshare, comedy set, and raw confessional. Itās a snapshot of Queer millennial life that taps into something deeply familiar: the mess of connection, the loneliness between pings, and the small, stubborn hope of something more.
Lucas, a creatively stifled twenty-something moderating Grindr complaints for a living, invites us into his mind – exhausted, sardonic, and painfully honest. āThirst traps should come with a pension,ā he quips, and you canāt help but laugh at how right he is. Co-written with Katie Bourne, Maughanās script is sharp and unafraid to poke fun at Queer culture while still holding space for its emotional weight. Beneath the jokes, thereās something more tender: the family dinners where he still doesnāt fit, the missed connections, and the heavy silence of a world that promises freedom but rarely delivers it.
It helps that Maughan himself is magnetic. Lucas is dry without being cynical, funny without ever feeling forced. The performance walks that fine line between laughter and heartbreak – those moments when Lucas lets his guard down hit like a gut punch. Itās a reminder that humour often comes from knowing just how far you can stretch before you snap.
An honest and witty exploration of connection, disconnection, and everything in between
Directors Tobias Abbott and Saskia Mollard make full use ofĀ The Hope TheatreāsĀ intimate space. The minimal staging – a tealight here, a subtle shift of light there – keeps the focus squarely on Lucas and his words. It feels like weāre in his living room, sitting across from him as he works things out in real time. The simplicity works; in a show like this, anything more would have been noise.
If thereās a niggle, itās that a couple of moments could do with trimming. Some ideas feel like they loop back around one too many times, as if Lucas himself is caught in his own head. But perhaps thatās the point. This isnāt about resolution or neat answers – itās about sitting in the mess and finding flickers of light where you can.
Final Thoughts ā ā ā ā
Would I recommendĀ Tealight? Absolutely. Josh Maughanās quietly magnetic performance draws you into a story thatās as funny as it is affecting. With sharp wit, self-aware humour, and moments of tender honesty, TealightĀ holds up a mirror to Queer millennial life – full of contradictions, connection, and disconnection in equal measure. The minimalist staging atĀ The Hope TheatreĀ makes every word and pause hit just that bit harder, leaving you with a lingering sense of something familiar yet unspoken. Itās a small story that feels surprisingly big, proving that sometimes a single flicker of light is all you need to feel seen.
Playing at The Hope Theatre until 7th December 2024.
Disclaimer: A complimentary ticket was provided in return for an honest and unbiased review.
More Reading
- A Dollās House at the Golden Goose Theatre ā A Stark and Intimate Retelling
- A Queer Cowboy in the City:Ā Lonesomeās Gritty Tale of Queer Longing and Discovery
- A Streetcar Named Desire: A Shattering, Sensational Revival
- All of Us Strangers: A Hauntingly Beautiful Exploration of What Could Have Been
