Revu Concrete

“Concrete”

In its first five minutes, Concrete is deceptive. The show starts with Craig (Joe Stanley) laying across a sofa, passed out from a rough night, accompanied by scratching his bumas he is awoken by his flatmate Tristan (Callum Burns). The set up is simple: Craig is a slacker, Tristan is a workaholic, they live in a cheap flat together, there are laughs, there is drama. A formula that many lesser plays have tried and many lesser plays will go on to try till the end of time.

However, even here, Concrete shines. Its writing deft, its direction strong and its two performers charismatic. Che Tligui delivers seamlessly in both his roles as writer and director. 

Initially the piece echoes Milked by Simon Longman, however it becomes something wholly exceptional when Craig arrives with his baby niece, who has seemingly been abandoned. The mood shifts in the best way possible.  Concrete comes into its own. It becomes something deeply human, deeply tender and deeply moving. 

“Concrete”

These two close friends wrestle with newfound parenthood, with societal inequality and ultimately the unfairness of life. Nothing ever feels clumsy. Nor pandering. Equally, the comedy never feels cheap or ruins any dramatic tension. Both Craig and Tristan go through their own mirrored arcs, the former almost obsessed with his home while the latter seems desperate to move on from it, all to the backdrop of the cries and laughter of the baby.

This is further bolstered by slick tech, specifically with regard to its use of sound and music, as well as a fantastic set which grounds the drama in reality without ever feeling busy or overblown. 

The only minor gripes emerge in the ambiguousness of the ending. From the get, Concrete never sets out to have all the answers, precisely harmonising with its character’s situation, but perhaps the piece could benefit from a few more beats at the end to close out its conclusion. 

Concrete is exceptional. A powerful two hander in an era where everyone is chasing two handers that are overly dramatic or gimmicky. This is a piece where its strength lies in its humanity and its vulnerability. There is nothing showy here. There is simply no need for it. Concrete is a piece of theatre that proves that in 2026, to make a good piece of theatre, you simply need to make a good piece of theatre. A bitter sweet symphony.

4.5/5 Stars

“Concrete”

Review by Ethan H.M.M

Photography by Miranda Mazzarella