Phrase – On Your Head Be It
Definition – To tell someone to take full responsibility for what they plan to do

On Your Head Be It is a humorous anecdote of Stuart and Eleanor who have escaped on a weekend break to a quaint town in Wales to try and live their lives as a normal couple for once. But after a few too many bottles of wine, they slip back into their old ways of homicide. Yes, homicide.

As part of the London Horror Festival, the Old Red Lion Theatre hosts On Your Head Be It. With very little set in a quite intricate space, I found myself anticipating the difficulty of holding an audience in the space. However, the two pull it off with little less than perfection.

It’s quite obvious that both Joseph Cullen and Sasha Wilson are at the top of their game in terms of writing ability. The conversations between the two are razor sharp, and it is purely a masterclass of its type, which creates many laugh-out-loud moments. It never takes itself too seriously; from a use of party gear as props for glasses, wine bottles and even a hostage, to breaking the fourth wall with “flashback” written on signs reluctantly shown to the audience. The tongue-in-cheek delivery of the piece is remarkable; however, I do feel as though the actual action that happens in the piece is slow-paced. As much as the conversations between the two is fantastically sharp, I found myself hoping for a little more in terms of what actually went on in the piece. The flashbacks are a nice touch, but perhaps some should be swapped for narrative progression.

That being said, the chemistry between the two is absolutely phenomenal. Cullen’s seamless delivery, in particular in all its British-ness, gives us a fantastic spin on a serial killer. I found that Wilson was ever so slightly hamming up her performance in the beginning, but once she settled into the piece, she really comes to her own.

I certainly didn’t know what to expect walking in to this show, particularly as a two-hander piece can be difficult to engage an audience in a consistent manner, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the result. If anything, this piece has made me feel very excited for the future of Out of the Forest Theatre. I really do see high hopes for both Cullen and Wilson and I really can’t wait to see what else they have up their sleeves.

On Your Head Be It is playing at The Old Red Lion Theatre on October 16, 17 and 27. For further information and tickets, please click here.