A Million Miles Under Hampstead Heath Review

A Million Miles Under Hampstead Heath is the debut play for Nothing Theatre Company, written and directed by Nina Fuentes. Described as an intimate exploration of love and loss, the 60-minute play follows the story of Maya and James, two young professionals who begin their love story in the unlikely surroundings of the northern line. We witness firsthand the couple's trials and tribulations during the first year of their relationship.

The play navigates the complicated, tender but often messy nature of modern relationships combined with the added layer of loss and grief. What stands out the most is Fuentes’ script and how she captures the complexity of a relationship between two people in their 20s. This strange period of your life when you’re still trying to figure out who you are, how you fit into the world, and where you want your life to lead. Fuentes’ depiction of an everyday relationship made harder by grief is nothing short of perfect.

As an audience member, I could see echoes of myself in these characters. I identified with their struggles and the unconscious way you take out your grief on the people closest to you. It all felt very familiar. Fuentes has an impressive ability to capture human emotions with both subtlety and depth. The play is beautifully poignant in parts but also laugh-out-loud funny in others - a brilliant combination that can be hard to balance. Her nuanced storytelling proves that she is an up-and-coming writer to watch out for.

George Prentice’s portrayal of the awkward yet charming James is effortlessly likable. His comic timing is undeniable and he strikes the perfect balance of endearing and funny, yet grounded in vulnerability. It’s a character interpretation that feels refreshingly authentic and full of warmth.

Anna Hewitt also gives an outstanding performance as Maya, a hard character to get right. Maya experiences a huge loss very early on in the play and then again around halfway through. Hewitt does a great job of authentically depicting the stages of grief without it feeling particularly self-indulgent. Her speech after the incident on the tube platform was heart-wrenching, I felt every fragment of emotion she delivered in that moment.

Despite two very strong performances from both actors, the dynamic between them did however feel forced at times. I would have liked to have seen more believable physicality between them to match the authenticity of the script.

The set is minimal, a single white bench is placed in the middle of the black box space that is utilised as a tube station bench, a sofa, and a bench on top of Hampstead Heath overlooking the city. The tube station speaker announcements that are littered throughout are extremely effective yet not overpowering.

The two-hander is punctuated by the couple's inner monologues, which were directed not to the audience but directly above us. This was explained with a revelation at the end that the entire play has unfolded within a therapy session and these speeches were directed to their therapist. This provides a satisfying conclusion and a shift in perspective.

The play is a simple yet effective piece of new writing that in my opinion definitely has legs. Fuentes along with associate director Robert Monaghan and associate artist Luis Hopkins have created a beautifully moving and entertaining piece of theatre. I can't wait to see what the future holds for it.

A Million Miles Under Hampstead Heath is currently playing at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre and is running until Sunday 10 November.