Fallen Angel – Drayton Arms Theatre

Fallen Angel continues at the Drayton Arms Theatre, London until 29 March 2025.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

This two-hander original musical by writing partners Sara Eker and Giles Fernando follows troubled musician Zach as he waits to board a plane from LA to London. His plans are kiboshed when he meets Angel Keeley, a mysterious woman who, unbeknownst to him, is his guardian angel, trying to guide him to his destiny – which will be decided if he boards the plane.

As the show begins, the musical’s pared back style is introduced as the lights come up on Keeley (Emma McAllister) and Zach (Peter Willoughby), who each stand on the stage holding a guitar. The design is minimal, without an elaborate set, which complements the acoustic style of the music. Moreover, without any backing track, the actors provide their own accompaniment to the numbers. This is an ambitious move which makes for demanding roles which both performers manage to execute. McAllister has a beautiful voice which carries the duo, while Willoughby plays the part of a musician with ease.

The music, described as folk-pop, is in keeping with the decision to solely use guitars but it can feel samey at times and loses impact in Act II. However, the constant presence of the instruments means it does not feel unnatural when the characters begin strumming their guitars or singing, a criticism which musicals can so often fall victim to.

The numbers evoke both Fallen Angel’s setting and its fantastical themes – one of the highlights is the number ‘Fly Away’, due to its clever double-meaning. The production’s strongest moments are the musical back-and-forths between the two characters as they try to figure each other out, which may have been inspired by Eker and Fernando’s writing partnership.

Unconventionally, the revelation of Keeley’s identity as Zach’s guardian angel comes at the beginning of Act II. This leaves the audience in the dark for more than half of the show which begins to get frustrating, given that there are few clues that hint towards her angel status – other than the show’s title. This results in an overload of suspense and the audience feels left out, not knowing the root of the characters’ peculiar behaviour. This can especially be said for Zach, who is evidently suffering from alcohol abuse.

The space is optimised, demonstrating Penny Gkritzapi’s effective direction in the blocking of the production which creates both closeness and distance between the two characters as their chemistry develops in Act I.

McAllister and Willoughby have good comedic timing which helps the many jokes written into the script and are worthy of praise for their willingness to be vulnerable in the intimate setting of the 51-seater Drayton Arms Theatre where there is nowhere to hide. To move this production into a larger venue would certainly require some alterations to the script which sees Zach’s character approaching members of the audience on a couple of occasions. Nevertheless, this is a bold piece of theatre with a lot of heart in it.

Rebecca Sinclair