Review: Ballad Lines
Star rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Cast of Ballad Lines
From the moment you walk into the venue, you’re welcomed by ballad music that instantly puts you in the right mood and makes you excited to see the show. Ballad Lines is playing at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, which is a very small theatre, not my favourite venue, and honestly, this show really deserves a bigger stage. But even so, I completely fell in love with it.
The story follows several different storylines, and at the centre is Sarah, a queer woman from New York, played by the incredible Francis McNamee. She inherits a box from her Aunt Betty (played by Rebecca Trehearn), who has just passed away, filled with memories, including a recorder with cassette tapes.
Through these tapes, passed down through generations from America, Scotland, and Ireland along the same bloodline, we meet Jane (played by Yna Tresvalles), her sister (played by Sîan Louise Dowdalls), Cait (played by Kristy Findlay), and Jamie/Thomas/Roman (played by Ally Kennard). The cast is also joined by Sydney Sainté, who plays Alex, Sarah’s girlfriend, and Gracie Lai, who plays Morna/Ancestor.
Because the stage is so small, the show feels really intimate. The musicians are right next to the performers, which I found very heartwarming. The actors move through the audience too, so it feels like the story is happening all around you, not just on stage. Everything feels so close and real, you can catch every look, every gesture, every emotion.
Cast of Ballad Lines
The songs and story are written by Finn Anderson and Tania Azevedo, they are deeply moving and full of emotion. The Irish ballads carry themes of love, memory, and longing, and a completely a cappella song at the start of Act Two gave me goosebumps. Blending Scottish, Irish, and Appalachian influences with a bold contemporary score, Ballad Lines traces one family’s hopes, sacrifices, and stories across generations, and you feel every note. Honestly, you can’t sit still; you find yourself tapping your feet along with the music.
What makes Ballad Lines so special is how it intertwines different stories and moments in time with gentle, poetic storytelling. The intimate staging and live music create an immersive experience that makes you feel like you’re part of the story. It’s a musical that doesn’t shout; it whispers, and those whispers stay with you long after the curtain falls.
More information about the show can be found on the website of Ballad Lines.
The full cast album is available on Spotify.
