Apex Predator
02 April 2025
Hampstead Theatre
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
Another vampire themed show, Apex Predator is running at the Hampstead Theatre until 26 April, tackling a female-led story of power and agency, dressed up in the supernatural.
Mia is not doing well, after having a baby half a year ago, she’s still not feeling in charge of her own body again, struggling with loneliness and overwhelm, and feeling abandoned by her husband who works long hours with the police after several blood-drained bodies have shown up in London. When her 10 year old son struggles with school, she connects to his teacher, a mysterious and powerful woman who proposes an unusual route to empowerment.
From the plot overview, it sounds like a fascinating show, but unfortunately it’s a little lacklustre and not well thought out. The plot progresses slowly and in odd directions, revealing some of its secrets too quickly and making things seem more dramatic than they turn out to be.
On top of that, the bizarre decision of adding an interval to an 80 minute show has been made, drawing the audience out of the action for no discernible reason. With such a short running time, it could have easily been run straight through, preserving some semblance of tension, sparse as it may be.
Just before the end of the show, there was a short moment where it seemed like the show had been turned around by moving it into the realm of mental illness rather than the supernatural, almost bringing a bland show to a tremendous conclusion. Unfortunately this was quickly rescinded, ending on an even more bland and bizarre note.
There are some good thought processes in here that could be turned around into a good show, but as it stands, it is a confused attempt at staging an interesting concept.
