King of Pangea ★★ King's Head Theatre | Jun 7 - Jul 6, 2025


When Sam Crow's mother is ill, she is constantly positive. She is always looking forward to things being better. It is an optimism that the young Sam adopts, but when his mother dies, it leaves him uncertain about how to adjust to that situation. Then, he remembers the tale his mother used to tell him about the island of Pangea, a wonderful mythical place; he thinks about that land and wonders if the means of sorting out his complex emotions about her loss might be found there. King of Pangea is a slight fable about loss and reconciliation to the reality of death, but it never really works. The rather forced metaphor about finding the final piece of the puzzle and the journey to the fabled land all fall rather flat. A major issue is that this doesn't seem like a fully thought-out fantasy place, and the whole sequence about the magic coins fails to resonate. Luring an audience into an imaginative construct is never an easy task, and in this case, Pangea simply doesn't engage the imagination. Some of the issue may be the show's rather pedestrian sets. We have now become rather spoiled by the video technology and special effects employed in even small theatres. In this instance, we are left in an uneasy place where imagination is actually inhibited by the attempts made to stimulate it. It might have been better if the story had been played out on an even simpler set. The narrative also is rather odd, and Sam's break-up with his girlfriend because his mother does not want people outside the family to know about her illness doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. The family drama at the beginning drags a bit until we meet the immortal Elijah played by Mark Curry, and his comic song, "Everyone I Love" was, for us, the highlight of the show. King of Pangea doesn't really cover any new territory. Stories about a child's imaginative reaction to the loss of a parent are a fairly common literary ground. However, this show needs a major reworking, if it hopes to find its place amongst some of those inspired and inspirational works.

Rated: ★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Steve Gregson

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: 115 Upper St, London N1 1QN, UK

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