The Interview
06 September 2025
Riverside Studios
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
The Interview, currently running until the 27 September at the Riverside Studios, is a surprisingly tense and poignant play that has many facets and surprises in store.
Disgraced political journalist Pierre Peters (Robert Sean Leonard) is given a last chance to save his career by writing a feature on influencer turned successful actor Katya (Paten Hughes), while one of the biggest political scandals of the century unfolds on the other side of the country. Bitter and resentful, he prepares for a soulless puff piece on a woman he thinks very little of.
But Katya is prepared, she is used to being underestimated, talked down to by older men who don’t take her seriously. She’s ready to fight for recognition and make herself be heard.
The story has more depth than it seems at first glance, slowly revealing its heart and soul throughout the evening, just like its two protagonists. Kayla’s Brooklyn loft makes for a stunning stage design, spreading end to end with exposed brick throughout, and an open concept kitchen at the far end, a quirky bath-tub (from one Katya’s films) graces the book nook and the elegant furniture seems very curated to present an image rather than to be lived in. Which is very accurate for Katya’s lifestyle, monetizing her followers on social media while working her way to the top.
Underestimated and disrespected, she is ready for a fierce power play, while Pierre tries to hold on to this prejudice of her vapidity in the face of his work in world politics, which he deems as much more important than the self-indulgences of celebrities. But throughout the night, both of them bear their souls and power dynamics shift sharply. The play is incredibly clever, with many twists that spin a fascinating narrative. Close to life, stylized, and very believable, it’s a great examination of modern life and how we grade the value of a life.
The acting is still a little stiff and would benefit from a more natural, less rehearsed feel of it, regardless, it is a gripping, urgent play that demands to be seen!
