REVIEW! Gerry and Sewell at The Aldwych Theatre, 2026

Our first review of 2026 brought us to the Aldwych Theatre in London for the West End transfer of Gerry and Sewell. This play tells a 'purely belter adventure' of two friends from Newcastle who pine for a season ticket. Playing for a strictly limited season, I had to find out, was this piece worth the transfer or would it be a case of a yellow card on the pitch?

Firstly, this play brought out proud Geordies in force. The theatre was an ocean of black and white football stripes and scarfs and that gave me the first instinct that perhaps the message of this play was pride.

Once seated, I was able to see the set which remained the same throughout. With an old sofa, TV, rubbish and scaffolding, it felt reminiscent of the council estate I grew up in. I was bewildered to notice black and white decorations between every few seats, I thought they were rolled up bin bags but certainly signalled audience participation which happens very early on - but I'll let you find out how.

Based on Jonathan Tulloch’s novel The Season Ticket, which became the film Purely Belter (which is now on my to watch list) Olivier Award-winner Jamie Eastlake’s new adaptation filled the theatre on a rainy Thursday evening.

The production tells the story of friends Gerry and Sewell. Having grown up in Gateshead, they dream for bigger and better. More specifically, Newcastle United season tickets. Through farfetched plans to raise the funds while contending with family heartache, loss and abuse, we see that this isn't a story about football at all. Its core message is one of hope.

The moment our leads Dean Logan and Jack Robertson took to the stage, the theatre erupted into an explosion of wild cheers and rapturous applause and the praise did not stop there. The main characters gave the impression of a typical comedic duo, one being the brains of the operation while the other is the more light-hearted cheeky chappy but what was clear is that Gerry and Sewell aren’t simply friends, they’re more like brothers. Both actors were incredible throughout the whole show but Robertson as Sewell was a particular highlight with his retorts, one liners and impeccable comedic timing. Particular moments of his I recollect are comparing McDonalds nuggets as a treasure chest, a showdown with a black cat, a cheeky ode to the departed Tina Turner musical at the Aldwych and finally, his very own flamboyant musical number.

Other cast member highlights included Bill Fellows as Gerry’s estranged and abusive father, Katherine Dow Blyton as his mother. She was a loving mother who had clearly fought her way through life. Chelsea Halfpenny was the sister with a dream and the show certainly made sure they showcased her beautiful vocals. Although her time on stage was limited, a notable mention must go to Erin Mullan as Bridget, I could feel her sadness and trauma on the occasions we did meet her.

The show did contain many regional jokes that the audience lapped up with laughter, however with me being from the South, these were somewhat lost on me. Though I must stress that this did not detract from my enjoyment whatsoever.

Gerry and Sewell is a play with depth that I did not expect and from starting in a 60-seater pub theatre venue, it thoroughly deserves it’s West End transfer and can be seen at the Aldwych Theatre until 24th January 2026.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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