Imagine your worst fear has come true and the world is going to hell in a handcart with a deadly virus that spreads so fast it is impossible to keep up with. In desperation, you would try to find somewhere to escape the prospect of being infected. Actually, we had all that a few years ago with the Covid epidemic. But, bad as that was, imagine something even deadlier was coming, and you had to hide yourself away for potentially a long time. Would you be able to do it and cope? Well, that’s the dilemma faced by the protagonist in Jishik Kim and Seungyeon Kwon’s rock musical The Last Man, getting its English language premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
As alarms blare, a man known only as The Survivor – played on alternate nights by Lex Lee and Nabi Brown – (Lex Lee at my performance) rushes to Bunker 103, his secret hiding place, which has been prepared for a cataclysmic event. In this case, the rise of zombies. He considers himself fortunate since, as a real film buff, he was able to spot the signs of zombies among us in good time and prepare accordingly, stockpiling supplies – instant noodles, filtered water, etc – and installed a high-tech cooling system so that he can sit out the apocalypse happening in the world above him. With a huge sense of optimism, he feels he is ready for whatever the world can throw at him, but is he?
It’s not often that a musical has only one actor, and I was worried about how the story would be told without breaking the fourth wall or making the character slightly psychotic, constantly talking to himself. But the writers got over that by having The Survivor record a series of Vlogs on his phone to inform future generations of what had occurred. But hang on, the phone battery might die, you might think. Well, yes, it does, but that matters not as The Survivor has found an old childhood teddy (called Jon Bear) that he talks to – and as someone who may do something similar in his own life, I can guarantee there is nothing odd about that. There are some lovely moments of comedy where, for example, The Survivor points out links between his story and certain movies, such as growing potatoes just like Matt Damon in The Martian and this all helps humanise The Survivor and make him very much a personable and affable character trying to cope with extraordinary circumstances.
This role requires a first-rate actor to not only bring every nuance of The Survivor to life but also to make his journey feel believable and something we care about. So full credit to Lex Lee for delivering an outstanding performance. Taking The Survivor from a fun, if slightly odd, young man proud of his foresight and preparations, down a negative path as the reality of his isolation sinks in. Lee has great stage presence and an amazing singing voice that can really belt out the large rock numbers as well as take the audience with him on the quieter emotional numbers. By the end, although the narrative has played with you so much, there is still a lot of affection for The Survivor.
There are a couple of issues with the sound, which made some of the numbers – particularly the opening one – difficult to hear properly, which is a shame, but on the whole, this is a great show which really keeps to its Korean roots, but thanks to Jethro Compton’s sensitive dramaturgy, it’s easily accessible to a Western audience.
The Last Man is a real play of two halves, with the second act being much darker and more emotional than the first. There are twists and turns, and even what feels like a false ending at one point, before the audience is released, questioning everything they have seen and heard and going back over the story for clues they may have missed, in this intriguing and compelling story.
Review by Terry Eastham
One survivor. One choice.
A mysterious virus spreads across the globe. Cities fall silent. The undead roam.
In a bunker beneath the streets of Seoul, one survivor takes shelter – alone. As days turn to weeks, supplies begin to dwindle. As weeks turn to months, isolation warps their sense of reality. Time fractures. Memories resurface. Fear rises. As the power fails and monsoon rains fall, they must make a choice: to survive, or to live.
Nabi Brown – The Survivor
Lex Lee – The Survivor
The Last Man is a one person musical. The role of The Survivor will be shared by two cast members across performances.
Jishik Kim – Book and Lyrics
Seungyeon Kwon – Music
Jethro Compton – Dramaturg
Daljung Kim – Director
Gabriel Chernick – Musical Supervisor, Co-Orchestrator and Arrangements and Lyricist
Shankho Chaudhuri – Set Designer
Cheolmin Cho – Lighting Designer
Liam McDermott – Sound Designer
Anna Kelsey – Costume Designer
Grace McInerny for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting – Casting Director
THE LAST MAN
Southwark Playhouse Elephant
8 May to 13 June 2026
