Review - Orca - People's Theatre

Orca

People's Theatre

24th November, 2025

Written by Matt Grinter 

Directed by Sara Jo Harrison 

Music by Craig Fairbairn and Rhiannon Wilson 

Cast: Holly Stamp

Minnie Dobson

Mark Burden

Ashton Matthews

Sean Burnside

Rhiannon Wilson

"The Devil smiled and marvelled this,

How loud, how vile silence is."

Orca is set in an unnamed village, on an unnamed island. It is a small island, a tight knit community with longstanding traditions. It These superstitions and traditions hold the community together, but they also hide a dark secret which could destroy the community. Maggie has spoken out to try to reveal the truth behind the traditions and has been ostracized by the village, making life difficult for her family.

Powerfully written, Orca raises questions about the power of men and the powerlessness of women. It explores the abuse of power by those in authority, creating fear to further their own agenda, hiding misdeeds behind a veil of respectability. But it also examines the herd mentality, which sees people band together against a threat and be blinded to the true nature of that threat. 

Women's voices are more than not heard, they are silenced and those who should be protecting the children are complicit in the silence.

The studio is perfect for this production. As the audience enters we are met with a rustic scene, wooden floors, two huge wooden pillars, fishing nets draped against the wall, and the cast members already in situ -  we have to pass them to get to our seats. With the audience seated on 3 sides around a set that almost touches the front rows, it is immersive and a little claustrophobic; there is nowhere for the audience to hide as this dark story unfolds.  

The cast are all superb.  From the naively excited Fan played by Holly Stamp, to the older, and sadly wiser, Maggie and Gretchen. Minnie Dobson and Ashton Matthews capture the anger and trauma of the girls with complete conviction. While Mark Burden as Joshua seethes with explosive anger - Joshua is more like his elder daughter than he might care to admit. Sean Burnside meanwhile is menacingly restrained as The Father. 

Underscoring all of this is the soundscape of the sea and the mother's song -  a folk song especially composed for this production - Rhiannon Wilson's plaintive voice resonates around the set. With the sound of waves crashing against the shore and the words of the song hinting at the secrets below the surface, it is potently atmospheric. 

Orca deals with some extremely difficult themes. It asks questions that we may not be comfortable with. After the burst of applause, the audience left the auditorium quietly, which I think is a telling reaction for the play and the performances. 

A thought provoking 90 minutes, Orca plays until 29th November.  Go and see it. 

Tickets are available at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk .

*Images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk