Review! An Oak Tree at The Other Palace, October 2026

What can I say about this? Less theatre and more a piece of art, it starts simply enough - we are the audience in a dodgy stage hypnotist’s show. However, in this two person play, one person wrote it and has performed it numerous times and the other person has not seen the script or the show, and is fed lines and actions via a clipboard, ear piece or directly. It relies on improvisation skills and interpretation of the material which deals with recent (or future?) grief and memory.

There was barely a set to speak of, just a handful of chairs and a piano stool, which somehow made the whole experience feel even more intimate. With so little separating the actors from the audience, there was nowhere to hide and no distraction from what was unfolding in front of us. It felt less like watching a play and more like being drawn into something deeply personal and immediate — as though we were witnessing these characters’ grief unfold right alongside them.

The characters (a father whose daughter has been killed by a car, and the hypnotist who was the driver of the vehicle) are compelling. Tim Crouch plays the distressed and desperate hypnotist with an air that at the same time attracts and repulses. In this opening night at The Other Palace we were treated to the fabulous Gwyneth Keyworth in the role of “Father”, and my goodness did she deliver?! Despite having to react on the spot, she played a believable and desperately sad character looking for answers, on the edge of reality and make believe. Myself and the audience could see that she was clearly not a 40 something six foot man who hadn’t shaved… and yet somehow, she absolutely was. This was truly an act of brilliance. 

There were a few moments where I found myself confused (for example switching between characters and actors) but this is not necessarily a critisism as I sense this is part of the shows charm and intrigue- it’s not designed to be a neat little play, wrapped up in a bow with a simple answer. It’s messy, and life, death and grief are exactly that... messy. However, despite the full house you could have heard a pin drop. As the audience, we were leaning forward in our chairs, waiting for what was to happen next when the inevitable clash of characters would occur.

So, if you ask, would I see it again? I don’t know. I love the idea that I saw a production that will never be seen again, that those exact acting choices will never be made again, and with an actor who will never perform it again (as I mentioned previously, I believe we were extremely lucky to see the extraordinary Gwyneth Keyworth). An Oak Tree is such an interesting concept, and Tim Crouch is clearly an exceptional artist. It is an hour and 15 of my life that I will mull over periodically, but I don’t know if future viewings would clarify or confuse - but maybe that’s the point?

⭐⭐⭐⭐

An Oak Tree plays at The Other Palace until 15th November 2026. Book at the link below and scroll down to see further featuring guests!

An Oak Tree - The Other Palace Theatre 

Reviewed by Sam Silsby

Performance guest list:

Performed by Tim Crouch, with a different second actor at each performance.

October

• Fri 9 Oct — Rosalie Craig

• Sat 10 Oct — Olivia Williams

• Sun 11 Oct — Rhashan Stone

• Tue 13 Oct — Clare Perkins

• Wed 14 Oct — Tom Mothersdale

• Thu 15 Oct — Gemma Whelan

• Fri 16 Oct — Bessie Carter

• Sat 17 Oct (matinee) — Josh Finan

• Sun 18 Oct — Juliet Stevenson

• Tue 20 Oct — Sean Gilder

• Fri 23 Oct — Sacha Dhawan

• Sat 24 Oct (evening) — Tanya Reynolds

• Sun 25 Oct — Sophie Melville

• Thu 29 Oct — Hammed Animashaun

• Fri 30 Oct — Brian Gleeson

November

• Sun 1 Nov — Dónal Finn

• Wed 4 Nov — Hugh Skinner

• Fri 6 Nov — Reece Shearsmith

• Sun 8 Nov — Ria Zmitrowicz

• Tue 10 Nov — George Fouracres

• Sun 15 Nov — Suranne Jones

Further cast to be announced.