• Graduating in 2020, the already-experienced actor/singer Poppy Charlton is the standout, though Malone’s impressive too. Though playing Eva’s mother – great interplay between her and Hawkins here – her key role is Anne Frank. She morphs into the part like a shapeshifter, commenting “I think he likes me… I know he likes me” with girlish archness that’s heartbreaking and funny at the same time. Charlton though brings a gravitas and wit, a sardonic impatience, and sheer mobility to Frank: it’s there in her eyes. Charlton spins on the stage almost, with a rapidity of thought and motion convincing you you’re seeing Frank herself.

  • Poppy Charlton gives a captivating performance as the unnamed protagonist. She delivers the weaving narratives with considered pacing, fluctuating with the stories to avoid the monologue growing tedious. Charlton creates an emotive, rich image of this character: powerful yet vulnerable, each emotion is readable in her face, flickering from fear, to joy, to uncertainty. There is nowhere to hide for Charlton. The arrangement of the stage has the audience sat encircling the ‘cave’, and with only a handful making up the audience, this is a very intimate theatre experience. Charlton comes out and assesses her audience, locking eyes and demanding “who are you?”. This is one of the most impressive aspects of her performance, as she manages to hold the gaze of her chosen subject just long enough to make them squirm. Her questions are insistent enough that you wonder: Are we meant to reply? What happens if we do?

  • ***** Scottish Daily Mail- (2022) Edinburgh Fringe, The Biscuit Barrel.

    **** Broadway Baby

    ***** The Derek Awards

    An A+ sketch show- The Brighton Seagull

  • In A Cave A Voice- Nominated Best Show at Brighton Fringe by Soho Playhouse (2022)

  • An Exquisite Dinner (2021) Winner of The Best Experimental Short at The South London Film Festival.

    Official Selection at The Paus Premieres Festival and The Lift Off Global Nertwork.

  • Second Life- Old Red Lion Theatre- Reviews Hub

    The cast are absolutely fantastic – all of them executing their roles confidently and with the right amount of dark humour required. The friendships between Julia (Poppy Charlton) and Sarah (Bec Barton) … are brilliantly conveyed, all three actors really shining both individually and alongside each other.

  • Voiceover

    Poppy is an amazing professional, highly skilled and competent.

    *****