Prepare to be both horrified and fascinated as The Sheads* at the Royal Court Theatre reimagines Stone Age cannibals with a sly, modern twist that’ll leave you questioning everything. But here’s where it gets controversial: what if the line between barbarism and civilization is blurrier than we think? And this is the part most people miss—this play isn’t just about ancient humans; it’s a mirror held up to our own society. Let’s dive in.
The Royal Court’s latest production, The S*heads, serves up a feast for thought—and not just the literal kind, like raw elk meat or cannibalized brain matter (though there’s plenty of that too). In Jack Nicholls’ thought-provoking debut, acts of brutal violence are woven into the mundane fabric of daily life for these paleolithic characters. It’s a world where survival is primal, yet the themes are strikingly contemporary.
Set in the Stone Age, the play introduces us to a family of cave-dwellers: Clare (Jacoba Williams), a capable and curious young woman; her ailing father Adrian (Peter Clements); and her younger sister Lisa (Annabel Smith), who, despite being a teen, exudes an almost childlike energy. Played by a fully grown woman, Lisa’s casting is just one of many deliberate anachronisms that pepper the staging. Characters speak modern English, sport modern names, and even wear contemporary clothing. The cave itself is a blend of eras, featuring a freestanding electrical lamp and a floor compartment stocked with kitchen essentials. A Sports Direct mug makes a cameo, earning one of the night’s biggest laughs—a perfect example of the play’s clever blending of past and present.
The opening scene is a theatrical tour de force: Clare hunts and kills a massive elk (brought to life by an impressive puppet) with the help of Greg (Jonny Khan), a friendly outsider who lives above ground. To Clare’s family, Greg is just a “s***head,” a term they use to dehumanize anyone outside their cave. When Greg regales Clare with stories of his world, she’s captivated—only to strike him down and consume his brain. It’s a shocking moment, but it’s just the setup. The real drama begins when Greg’s widow (Ami Tredrea) arrives at the cave with her infant child (another puppet), disrupting the family’s domestic norms and prejudices. For a moment, the play flirts with becoming a dark comedy of manners, but it quickly veers into something far more tragic.
By layering modern trappings onto an ancient setting, Nicholls, alongside designer Anna Reid and directors Aneesha Srinivasan and David Byrne, makes the play’s symbolic meanings impossible to ignore. This isn’t a story about the specifics of Stone Age life; it’s about the timeless psychologies that still drive us today. But here’s the bold question: Are we really so different from these ‘barbarians’? The risk with such a play is that characters could become mere symbols, but thankfully, they’re given enough depth and specificity to feel real. It’s also worth noting that The S*heads isn’t just a commentary on isolationism—it’s a multifaceted exploration of storytelling, language, and ideological inheritance.
Nicholls’ dialogue is a tricky balancing act: crude yet erudite, a mashup of codes and lexicons that somehow works. The larger-than-life characters, like Clements’ boorish patriarch and Smith’s feisty, squeak-voiced Lisa, are the ones who truly shine. They’re also given the best comedic material, which is a welcome relief in a play that could occasionally use more levity. The puppeteers, led by Scarlet Wilderink, deserve a shoutout for their expressive and seamless work.
The S*heads arrives during a standout season for the Royal Court, and it’s no exception. While only a handful of moments truly soar, the production is confident, punchy, and dramatically substantial—exactly what you want from a new original work. It’s a play that challenges, provokes, and entertains in equal measure.
But what do you think? Is the play’s blending of past and present a stroke of genius, or does it distract from the core message? And does it succeed in holding a mirror to our own society, or does it fall short? Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments. Catch The S*heads at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court until 14 March—it’s a theatrical experience you won’t forget.
