The Watch is a total delight from start to finish, which comes all too quickly!! It is a ‘rom-com’ which is also very poignant in places, with some wonderfully funny one-liners, beautifully written by Isabella Waldron. She uses the technique of having one of the two protagonists, Hannah, speaking to the audience, often breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to one person, which often seemed to be me, as if confiding her deepest secrets! This is most successful, both on the part of the playwright as well as actor (Ciana Howlin), and makes us care what happens almost from the very start. Waldron also knows how to write an ‘old-fashioned’ play that has a structure, with very believable dialogue, scenes that build to contrasting climaxes, and a hugely satisfying ending! If only more modern playwrights would learn how to write a play before they actually do so! And there is nothing wrong with a “well-made play”! I so enjoyed The Watch!
Anyway, what is it about? Hannah, for various reasons you will discover if you see the play, which I hope you will, works as a barista in a coffee shop. She is always tired, having great difficulty getting to sleep each night, and will go to bed with anyone who presents themselves, in the hope of a good night! When her wristwatch (yes, she wears one!) starts making loud noises, she takes it to a watchmaker where she meets Zoe, who works there and the two begin a romantic entanglement that has the audience (well, me, anyway!) totally enchanted.
Ciana Howlin has great stage presence as Hannah. She knows how to use the words she is given and nothing is wasted; every nuance, every witticism is brought to the fore, and her communication with the audience is at a very high level. She is onstage for the entire sixty minutes of the play and her utterances always seem as if they are hers and not the playwright’s.
Kate Crisp is Zoe: a lovely, warm-hearted portrayal with a completely different personality to Hannah, evident not only in the writing but also in the acting, and, in her own way, just as watchable. Whereas Hannah is a larger-than-life person, Zoe is more thoughtful, more easily hurt, at least on the surface. Both actors work fluently together as if they have known each other for years.
The director, Merle Wheldon, knows exactly how this play should go and ensures that whilst most of it has an enviable lightness of touch, the more serious moments are given full weight, even if they are but fleeting. Just occasionally, the use of the traverse acting space defeats her, and the actors appear to be circling each other as there is no other movement they can do, but these occasions are rare and, to be frank, I am being unkind in mentioning them, as her direction is well-nigh perfect!
The set (Isabella Sarmiento Abadia) is minimalist, the sound design – just a watch loudly ticking as far as I could tell – must have caused Yanni Ding few problems and the lighting, in what is a pretty basic space, is effectively designed by Jack Hathaway.
You will have gathered that I thoroughly enjoyed The Watch. Indeed, all the grumpy old man in me can find fault with is that the time passes all too quickly and I need an Act Two in order to see what happens to Hannah and Zoe one year or, better, ten years later!
All involved must be warmly congratulated on the success of this production – very highly recommended! The Glitch is a three-minute walk westwards from The Old Vic – a cafe/bar which is not only easy to find, but it is also very welcoming. Do try to see The Watch, but hurry as it ends on 9 June!
Review by John Groves
Fusing tender romantic comedy with dreamlike storytelling, The Watch explores the delicate dance between time, intimacy, and identity.
When insomniac Hannah meets clockmaker Zoe, days blur into nights, reality gives way to desire, and love becomes both fleeting and infinite — unravelling a profound exploration of trust, time, and the delicate art of letting someone in.
Hannah – Ciana Howlin
Zoe – Kate Crisp
Writer – Isabella Waldron
Director – Merle Wheldon
Producer – Chris Edge
THE WATCH
The Glitch, 134 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AE
29 May to 9 June 2025
