With Bronagh Leneghan and Karisma Drage taking you on a night out that is quite out of this world—Heaven really is A Place on Earth. Inspired by writer Ethan MacDonald’s experience working in a bar near Charing Cross, A Place on Earth charts the journey of a night out with four queer friends and playwright Ethan MacDonald promises you all the stops—from pres, to queueing outside the club, the actual clubbing, the smoke breaks and even the (very hungover) morning after. While it bears the familiar arc of a night out—this play nonetheless manages to impress in its ability to infuse a deeper appreciation of the bonds of friendship, young love and queer culture amidst the ups and downs of the evening.

“The ability of the cast to build on one another allowed the audience to be drawn right into the narrative”

The brilliant writing by Ethan MacDonald laid the foundations for this absolutely cracking play. Every quip, retort and jibe between the characters were written in with a precision and eloquence that hits the nail on the head. One of my favourite gems of the night include: “This place is amazing. Maybe I should become a w****r too / I think you meant banker darling / sure ”. But beyond these moments of laughter, the script interlaces moments of tenderness as well—as when Tina (Joy Adeogun) confesses her feelings to Molly (Louella Lucas) with trepidation and vulnerability. The ingenuity of the script was taken to greater heights by the amazing cast onstage.

The chemistry between the actors was impeccable, where the ability of the cast to build on one another allowed the audience to be drawn right into the narrative. With each bringing something to the table—they successfully created the four horsemen of a chaotic night out. Molly (Louella Lucas) as the mother hen who looks out for everybody, Tina (Joy Adeogun ) as the more laidback friend, Tom (Xander Pang) recently heartbroken and looking to let off some steam, and Harry (Liam Macmillan), slightly nervous but eager to try anything. The performance of “cool mom” Gen (Alix Addinall) invited warm chuckles from the audience as well. Endearing and growing overly loquacious over wine, Alix effectively created a loveable character that any child would justifiably be embarrassed about.

“The ingenuity of the script was taken to greater heights by the amazing cast onstage”

I especially enjoyed the performance of Harry—with this bumbling ineffectuality in the face of his crush, Tom makes him a character that is relatable. Even the ensemble (Tess Bottomley and Lily Kemp) were a tour de force in their own right—from the impressions of the National Rail announcer (“Next station, Paddington”) to the deluge of absolute characters you meet on Grindr; their ability to switch between the demands of the roles was the cherry on the top of the cake.

While there were moments where the dialogue seemed to drag on for a little too long, the directors managed to always rope it back and get the play moving along. The dynamism of the play was injected by the energetic physical performances by Liam Macmillan, who always managed to break these brief moments of monotony. I have to admit I initially had my qualms about how Bronagh and Karisma were going to bring the atmosphere of the club to the stage—but I am happy to declare that my fears were largely unfounded. Huge to props to the entire production team; the combination of the moody lighting, club bangers and the effective use of props allowed for a convincing recreation of the club in the heart of the Corpus Playroom. All in all, I’d say that A Place on Earth was a pretty successful night out!

A Place on Earth by Ethan MacDonald is showing at 9:30pm in the Corpus Playroom from the 17th – 21st May.