Review: Ballad Lines
@ Southwark Playhouse Elephant until March 21st 2026
Director: Tania Azevedo
Writer: Finn Anderson
Cast: Frances McNamee, Rebecca Trehearn, Sydney Sainté, Kirsty Findlay & Ally Kennard
If this transfers to the West End - and I suspect it might - it’s going to be huge. With its soundtrack of catchy songs, its righteous feminist politics and a narrative that eschews neatness but is nonetheless simple and accessible, Ballad Lines is ripe for a larger audience in a larger theatre somewhere in the centre of town. Like the folk songs that form its soundtrack, it’s a story about storytelling; specifically, how women’s stories shape and influence - but pointedly do not define - their descendants across generations, and how women must forge their own narratives in a world determined to prevent them from doing so.
The timeliness of the narrative, which focuses on three women hundreds of years apart all contending with issues of pregnancy and childbirth, imbues Ballad Lines with some salience, and adds pathos to the characters’ individual journeys. In the present, Sarah, a queer woman living with her partner Alix, listens to the stories of two of her ancestors, both of whom underwent traumatic pregnancies, and concludes that she wants to carry on their story and have a child with Alix, who is much less certain. The notion of choice is extrapolated beyond the obvious binary of abortion to include the choice that queer women now have to conceive and raise a child, which makes it a more compelling story, and allows Azevedo and Anderson, as creators, to craft a narrative that doesn’t always provide the closure or neatness that the audience might expect.
Though Southwark Playhouse Elephant is a larger space than its Borough counterpart, the stage is still restrictive and so some of the choreography feels constrained, particularly in relation to the bombastic, crowd-pleasing mood of the songs. The musicians are on stage but partially hidden, and certain spaces sometimes have to double (or even triple) up as other locations, which is a distraction. Nonetheless, there is a seamlessness to the way in which the performers move across timelines, which gives the production a lilting fluidity, and it is very well paced and structured.
There is a lot to like here and I think, with some tweaks, Ballad Lines could grow to be a real smash. The vocals are decent and the show has real emotional heft as each character’s journey reaches its climax, while the manner in which it tackles questions of choice and legacy is thoughtful. A few of the songs will burrow into your head and keep you humming along for days, and the whole thing has a quiet charm. If last night’s audience is anything to go by, Ballad Lines is on the cusp of creating a legacy all of its own.
Score: ⭐⭐⭐