It's Not About Coffee by Sophia Hail & Jennifer Kehl. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London SE4 until 19 July 2025, 3☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Izzy Ponsford.

It's Not About Coffee by Sophia Hail & Jennifer Kehl. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410  Brockley Road, London SE4 until 19 July 2025,

3☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“A Musk See.”

Well performed post Armageddon tale which simply goes on too long – twenty minutes shorter and it would deserve an extra star and have much more impact. The problem possibly is that it is directed by one of the authors – and that means the outside eye is missing. Deep down in a bunker two young women, Zona and Katherine,  meet, sent there by someone mega rich – no prizes for guessing who – to run a coffee bar and be there to serve their employer whenever, if ever, he should turn up. There is a lift connecting them to the world above but they are not allowed to use it, have signed a contract to remain there for fifty days, and are constantly watched by camera. They are two very different people, on is intent on doing everything by the book, the other does not care and messes about the place until they end up having designated areas in which they can do as they please – and, of course, change personalities over the passage of time. They  get on one another's nerves. But just how far will they go to do as they are told before they rebel against the world without women up above? And will their employer turn up? At ninety minutes It is Not About Coffee is just too long. Interest in finding out what it is really about after an hour has begun to flag. So get that blue pencil - or get another director to do the necessary surgery because this first production by Little Coup Theatre founded by Hail and Kohl while students at Rose Bruford deserves a future. But that said it is what you might call a Musk See.

Cast

Sophia Hail

Jennifer Kehl

Creatives

Director – Sphia Hail

Lighting Designer – Ferdy Emmet

Sound Designer – Sophia Hail