REVIEW: The Lesbians of Forest Gate - A Fierce, Funny, and Deeply Felt Queer Portrait

©️The Lesbians of Forest Gate, photographer: Dylan Zalikowski

Walking into the intimate upstairs space at the Canal Café Theatre, the setup feels deceptively casual: around ten small round tables, audiences seated in small groups, almost as if we’re about to join a game night. But the informality soon gives way to something far more urgent. We’re not just spectators; we’re witnesses.

The Lesbians of Forest Gate, co-written by queer artists Emily Wollenberg and Theodora Contin, is a documentary-style, verbatim play drawn from interviews with lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, nonbinary and queer individuals who have lived in Forest Gate, East London, over the past 60 years. Set in 1995, the play honours these voices while raising questions that still resonate about identity, belonging and the politics of queer community.

The story centres around a fictional “Sappho Council”, a community tribunal where identities are interrogated and definitions challenged. Tensions flare when someone is accused of no longer being a lesbian due to their attraction to a person of a different gender. This sparks a fierce, often uncomfortable debate about who gets to claim certain labels, and what it means when those boundaries shift. The performers in the scene bring a striking blend of vulnerability, sarcasm and frustration, making the exchange both powerful and unforgettable. The dialogue throughout is sharply written, often funny, sometimes painful, capturing the complexities and contradictions of queer discourse.

Scene changes are often signalled by the ring of a telephone, marking the end of one conversation and the introduction of another. New voices emerge: an individual questioning where they belong within an asexual identity; another reflecting on trans experience and the desire to be seen and heard. These interludes, based on real interviews, add texture and immediacy to the show, keeping it rooted in lived experience.

Rather than offering tidy conclusions, the play embraces ambiguity. Through fragments of romantic entanglements, family conflict and grassroots activism, it paints a layered and emotionally rich portrait of a community in transition. The ensemble cast shifts roles fluidly, performing with clarity, nuance and heart.

The staging is minimal but considered. Caro Vinden’s lighting design subtly signals changes in tone and space, while the close proximity between performers and audience blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality. The direction and sound design by Valerie Mo are confident and precise, keeping the production tightly paced and emotionally resonant. Stagehand Ellie Duenow plays a crucial supporting role in maintaining the flow and cohesion of the performance.

In the final moments, the recorded voices of real Forest Gate residents are heard - queer people across generations reflecting on pride, protest, discrimination and change. It’s a quietly powerful ending, a reminder that the freedoms and visibility enjoyed by many today were built on the struggles of those who came before. As one voice puts it, we are here because others made space for us. That message, filled with gratitude and resilience, lingers long after the performance ends.

★★★★

https://camdenfringe.com/events/the-lesbians-of-forest-gate/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafoMZ8nHfHzIuJ0h5pUqnfedD5F-tO9juZj0JKFTOf68hFJp-vY1dQXtBmsCw_aem_SZMKbxHi1wbdEh4iYe20zA

Credits:

Production Team
Creator & Producer: Emily Wollenberg
Playwrights: Emily Wollenberg, Theodora Contin
Director & Sound Designer: Valerie Mo
Deputy Stage Manager, Lighting Designer, Marketing & Digital Designer: Caro Vinden
Intimacy Director: Liz Kent
Interview Transcriber: Beth Morgan
Costumes & Props Manager, Stagehand: Ellie Duenow

Cast
Amanda: Rebeka Dio
Kelly: Meighread Dandeneau
Maureen: Stephanie Abadom Stevens
Julie: Lucy Burke
Heather: Mal Owen
Dom: Hadrian Conyngham
Rowan: Sam Bampoe-Parry
Margarida: Ana Sofia Caldas