The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026 - Issue 39

bitetheatre ing through Grace’s mind. “Your book inspired him. You made his life into a story.” Presumably overwhelmed, John’s fragile mental state gives way, and he collapses. When he’s helped back to his feet, he realises the strange power he had has vanished, though Martha reassures him it may return. Shaken by the en- counter and still without a clear answer about Daniel’s fate, Grace prepares to leave. John tries to persuade her to stay, but she goes, only to rush back in moments later, suddenly excited. “I’ve received a sequel to my novel! All about what’s already been. It’ll be about you, John. Who you are now will be front and centre.” Grace says she could describe him in her sequel as “John, an old friend”, but he insists he does not want to be written about as the old, diminished man he has become. “I don’t want to be universal. I’m not a character; I’m a real living being. You cannot own what takes place, G.T.” This revelation restores John’s strange power. Agitated, he storms out. Martha resumes her account, laying out the damage Grace’s book has caused: John burns down the pub, climbs the chapel, and falls to his death. As she speaks, his marzipan figure drops from the table, adding an eerie touch. “Are you in the cupboard, John?” The play ends with Grace and Martha planning a new tourist at- traction together. I found the story clever, though I did occasionally lose my way. The live band added real drama, along with moments of comic sound that I rather enjoyed. What I initially took to be clumsy acting by Jim Findley turned out to be in- tentional, giving John a set of quirks that gradually grew on me. By the end, his demise was unexpectedly moving. King’s Head Theatre showcases bold and diverse theatre, musicals, and comedy, so click on their website to see what might scratch your cultural itch next. https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on?