Synopsis

London, 2013. A cramped Victorian flat in a gentrifying neighbourhood buzzes with the chaos of a renovation gone wrong.

Guy, a struggling writer perpetually on the verge of his big break, lives with his girlfriend Fi in a flat undergoing renovations. When Fi leaves for a work trip, Guy’s attempts to manage the building work spiral into disaster. The arrival of a mysterious Victorian clerk named Elms, who emerges from behind a wall, and an unexpected African “adoptee” named Fortunately Maybe further complicate matters. As Guy grapples with looming deadlines, relationship troubles, and the literal collapse of his home, he must confront his own tendency for procrastination and fantasy.

Will Adamsdale’s The Victorian in the Wall is a riotous, surreal comedy that blends contemporary anxieties with historical whimsy. Through a series of increasingly absurd scenarios, the play explores themes of gentrification, creative paralysis, and the struggle to grow up in an increasingly complex world. Adamsdale employs a mix of naturalistic dialogue, flights of fancy, and metatheatrical elements to create a uniquely playful theatrical experience. The result is a bitingly funny yet poignant examination of modern urban life and the ghosts – both literal and figurative – that haunt our homes and psyches.