Pomona – A Stark, Unsettling Descent into the Underbelly of Manchester

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Date Reviewed: 08/08/2026

This is not a play for the faint‑hearted. It is dark, bleak, and deeply disturbing – yet what an extraordinary job these actors, their director, and the entire creative team have done in bringing its grim world to life.

From the moment we took our seats in the Little Theatre, an uneasy tension settled. Tahneisha Mottishaw’s ominous, almost threatening set design created an atmosphere of dread that never once dissipated. I must admit I struggled to locate the optimism that some viewers have found in Pomona, for me, the discomfort remained unbroken from beginning to end.

Pomona is a one‑act play by Alistair McDowall, first performed to critical acclaim in London in 2014. This production marks its South Australian premiere. Set in Manchester, the play follows Ollie – played with admirable clarity and emotional truth by Mia Livingstone‑Pearce – as she searches for her missing twin sister, fearing she has fallen into dangerous company. Every path leads to Pomona, an abandoned concrete island at the city’s heart, a place where those who get involved risk losing everything. Perhaps, as the play suggests, survival lies in looking away from the truth.

Ollie’s search brings her to Zeppo (Macey Lawson), who appears to “own” Pomona and everything that happens within its shadow. Lawson is fantastic in the role, delivering the opening monologue with faultless precision. Zeppo’s warning is simple and chilling - don’t get involved. 

The set’s abandoned detritus transforms seamlessly into other props, aided by Alice Smith’s brilliant lighting design. The strip lighting beneath the front row seats pulses with an undercurrent of fear, a subtle but effective reminder that danger is never far away.

Standouts for me included Louis Bianchini as Moe and Airlie‑Jade Windle as Fay. In one of the few moments where a glimmer of hope broke through the darkness, Moe visits Fay, a prostitute, not for sex but simply to touch her. The scene is beautifully played – tender and fragile.

Bianchini’s scenes with Jessie Chugg’s Charlie are equally compelling. Both characters sit at the bottom of the food chain, unable to escape the grim tasks assigned to them. Their inner turmoil and guilt are palpable, adding to the production’s oppressive emotional weight. 

Jessica Merrick’s Gale shifts convincingly between power broker and terrified victim, a stark reminder that in this world no one is truly in control. Lily Watson’s Keaton is suitably monotone and affectless, her involvement in Charlie’s role‑playing game handled with precision.

This production of Pomona is bleak, uncompromising theatre – a descent into a world where hope is scarce and danger omnipresent. It is unsettling, disorienting, and at times difficult to watch, but the performances and creative vision are exceptional. Director Thomas Midena has delivered a premiere that lingers long after the lights go down.

Reviewed by Deb Secombe