Review: GERRY & SEWELL, Aldwych Theatre

Who gets to decide where, or what, ‘home’ is? For many, it’s a place: the town or city you were born in; the destination you’ve always felt drawn to, regardless of the reason; or maybe it’s a building, somewhere you feel your safest. It’s to no one's surprise that when you ask a Geordie where their home is, they will give you one of two answers: “The Toon” or “St James’ Park”. Gerry & Sewell reminds people how important going ‘home’ really is.

When lifelong best friends Gerry and Sewell discover their real dream in life is to simply get season tickets to watch Newcastle United, a whole spiral of misaligned adventures turns into a true hustle for cash, character-development, and casting light on the side of Newcastle you can only fully understand if you’ve lived within its city lines.

Within the span of a year, the inhabitants of The Toon bring you into their world of fishing in the River Tyne for bikes and broken bits they can sell, mental health epidemics, and how nothing defines a Geordie more than how willing they are to help those around them - unless you steal their dog called Penny…

Jamie Eastlake’s brilliantly witty and raw play is just as upfront and vulnerable as the real-life people it is about. After making waves in the Newcastle Theatre scene for almost four years, all before its return in June of this year, Gerry & Sewell has truly shown it deserves to rival the ‘big dogs’ of the West End with a turn-out of Newcastle United kits that would have any Sunderland supporter running for the hills. 

Reuniting on stage are Dean Logan as Gerry, Jack Robertson as Sewell, Erin Mullen as Bridget McCarten, and Becky Clayburn as Tyneside. Joining them to complete the principal cast are Bill Fellows and Katherine Dow Blyton as Mr and Mrs McCarten, and Chelsea Halfpenny as Claire McCarten.

Logan and Clayburn have been with the production since its first performance at Laurel’s in Whitley Bay back in 2022, with Eastlake joining them on stage as Sewell. Robertson then took over in 2023 for their run at Live Theatre onwards. The characters and soul of this piece live and breathe because of the trio - working-class actors telling genuine working-class stories. The show wouldn’t be what it is without them.

A raw, honest, and true depiction of the struggles and traumas that inhabit the lives and minds of working-class men and boys shines throughout every inch of Logan’s performance. You can always tell when an actor cares so deeply not only about the play itself, but about the character they are playing in a way that makes them feel like a real human. Logan does this with absolute ease. Every word he says catches the audience and holds them, all while never missing a beat. 

Comedy is another attribute of a Northern experience that lies in the very talented hands of Robertson. His portrayal of Sewell will either remind you of yourself or someone you definitely grew up with. He is the embodiment of a friend-for-life. Robertson’s comedic timing is unmatched, all while never dropping the beat. Moments of fourth-wall-breaking humour really connect his performance with the audience in a way that can only be put simply as ‘masterful’. 

Clayburn is undeniably the backbone of this piece as she plays pretty much every single other character. If ‘quick-changes’ were an Olympic sport, she’d win gold without question. Her ability to effortlessly contrast her characters through voice and physicality made her performance a joy to watch. Clayburn humanises characters that society often doesn’t - a marvel to see.

Halfpenny deserves credit for her incredible singing voice alone. Her powerful and haunting rendition of "Leave Fast" by Sam Fender, a song literally written about leaving the North-East while you can to chase your dreams, tied the whole play up perfectly. She represented those of us who left Newcastle to move to London for the sake of our art beautifully, and I couldn’t ask for more from her for that.

The direction from Eastlake really brought home to London for those who Halfpenny’s character, Claire, represents - all while helping those who may have never travelled that far North understand why those born there love it so much for what it truly is. A play so powerful it’ll want to make you book the first LNER train home.

Read our interview with actor Becky Clayburn about the show here.

Gerry & Sewell plays at the Aldwych Theatre until 24 January 

Photo Credits: Von Fox Promotions

Buy Tickets to Gerry and Sewell