Following his successful debut last year, Max Allen returns to the Fringe in 2026 with Persona — a punchy, dark Secret History-esque psychological thriller.
The play opens to four classmates from private school as they gather for the reading of the will of one of their former peers. Shrouded in an air of mystery, they are unsure why exactly they have been asked to attend, and how the night will pan out. It quickly becomes clear to the audience that any friendship between the group is situational and largely transactional, which leads to an air of hostility.
James, the executor of the will, presents the group with an ultimatum on how the estate of their deceased classmate will be split. This forces them to negotiate and voice previously suppressed grievances with each other. From the beginning the character of Rupert played by Cameron Forrest is abrasive and provocative, plotting his exit strategy and insulting his host many times. Forrest portrays the archetypal spoilt rich kid well, causing conflict and setting up situations for the others to betray their true personalities and motives.
There are references throughout the play to a game they used to play at school called Persona. While it never becomes clear to the audience exactly what this game entailed, we deduce it was used as another tool of manipulation and mockery. This allows us to better understand James, as his complex character is drip feed to the audience throughout.
The play’s climax shockingly diffuses the tension built, unravelling the previous 50 minutes while also leaving aspects of ambiguity to sit with the audience, allowing us to contemplate some of the questions posed.
Highly enjoyable throughout, the play explores many themes around wealth, morals and intentions. Jokes are cleverly woven throughout adding to the narrative and audience engagement without compromising the strained atmosphere. In true Fringe fashion, a car alarm could be heard outside throughout the performance I attended, and it did not affect the actors’ superb performances or how absorbed I found myself. The show was produced by Namesake Theatre, an independent company founded by graduates of LAMDA and led by Allen to produce original dark plays centred around morality, power dynamics ad social pressure. I highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys mysterious and suspenseful plays, and who is looking to watch some pure theatre.
Persona has now finished its run at Fringe 2026.
Image courtesy of Namesake Theatre.
