Nick: Have you two kissed already?
Polly: No
Kate: Yes
Polly and Nick have it all. Happily married, two children, successful careers. And yet there's something missing... something rare and unforeseen…waiting to add a much-needed sparkle…
Unicorn is Mike Bartlett's explicit, funny and provocative new play, directed by James Macdonald, starring Nicola Walker (Unforgotten, The Split), Stephen Mangan (The Split, Episodes) and Erin Doherty (The Crown, Chloe).
This production contains explicit language, content and scenes of a sexual nature, which some audience members may find intriguing.
__Assisted Performances:__
BSL, Friday 7th March 7.30pm
Audio Described, Saturday 19th April 7.30pm
Captioned, Saturday 5th April 2.30pm
With the help of James Macdonald’s unobtrusive but taut direction, the cast excel. There are few people better than Mangan at making the words “in theory” feel like an essay in probability; as he wriggles and writhes in the midst of an unfamiliar situation, he brilliantly suggests a genuine confusion that masks something darker and less savoury. Walker is equally powerful, often funny, always honest. Her character is the ultimate truth-sayer, but she’s good at revealing the cost of that – showing the doubts beneath her desire to bring about change.
The word unicorn is often used to describe the rarity of a woman who joins a heterosexual couple in a relationship, but also can be seen as describing the unrealistic and mythical expectations of polyamory. And this is where the play really stutters in the second half. The realities of being in a throuple are never explored, beyond an incredibly idealistic portrayal. We hear references to the climate crisis, politics and masculinity, but where are the power dynamics, the jealousy, the etiquette? As the lights go to black there is a distinct feeling that Bartlett didn't know how to end his story.
| 2025 | West End |
West End |
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