The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026 - Issue 39

bitetheatre W ritten by Lucas Closs and directed by Imy Wyatt Corner, The Sequel ran as a quick-wit- ted, absurd exploration of art, ego, and the blurred lines between fiction and real life. The play fol- lowed the journey of novelist Grace “G.T.” Thoth, as she revisits the café where she wrote her first book. It captures the pull of nostalgia, the desire to preserve a place exactly as it was and the compulsion to record and shape our experience into narrative. It also reveals the complications that arise when real lives become ‘material’ at the heart of a play. I had visited King’s Head Theatre a few times before, and just once in its new accessible, purpose-built ven- ue around the corner from the pub. Having enjoyed those earlier visits, I was keen to see what kinds of productions the new space was attracting. The set was simply a square wooden table with a ging- ham cloth, three chairs, and an open copy of RISING beside a vase of fake tulips at the front of the stage. At the back, a jumble of pub chairs, stacked metal chairs, a phone table with two teacups, and an old transmitter create a sense of clutter. Another copy of RISING sits among the objects. Black marks, paint or mould streak the wall beside a couple of old-fashioned pictures. The play has only three characters. Live musicians play from one corner throughout, heightening the drama of each scene. As we take our seats, their melody builds a strong sense of anticipation. I’m impressed. In the first scene, the setting reveals itself as a café when John (Jim Findley) enters in a red coat. Bum- bling and talkative, he sits for tea but can’t stay still long enough to enjoy it. He has preserved the room exactly as it is for a reason: it serves as a memorial to Grace Thot, the author of the book on the table. John appears in the book and, since its publication, has become something of a local celebrity. “When you put me in your book, you made me. I’m a ‘made me’ man because of you. I won’t let any bad reviews be said about the book.” When Grace (Nisha Emich) arrives, looking rather like a tourist herself, John is overwhelmed with excite- ment and practically worships her. He proudly shows off the café, oblivious that she hasn’t yet realised it has been preserved as a shrine to her literary success. He praises her effusively, reminisces about their past, and can’t resist showing off, affectionately calling her ‘G.T.’. He then puts on nostalgic classical music only for Martha (Julia Pilkington) to burst in and shout at him to turn it off.