Conspiracy
26 October 2025
Barons Court Theatre
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Part of this year’s Grimfest, Barons Court Theatre hosted a short run of Conspiracy last weekend. The show revolves around Brian, who has recently lost his job, struggles to get through his Universal Credit application, and is too proud to accept financial help from his sister. Slowly sinking into isolation and running low on funds, he turns to the online world of conspiracy theories. First introduced through a childhood friend, he takes to the fringe theories a little too quickly and easily, and with nothing else going on in his life, he swiftly loses grip on reality.
Conspiracy is told with minimal stage design, just a small sofa and a table with a microwave, ready meals and instant noodles. Brian is constantly on his laptop or phone, researching theories and recording videos for the community. The narration is relaxed at first, like catching up with a friend over coffee, while Brian still has a solid grasp of what is real and what isn’t. But the more he slips into the dark world of fringe online communities, the more hectic and frightening his rhetoric becomes. He is an easy target for the main players in conspiracy territory, gobbling up even the most unlikely fringe theories with fervour, desperate to add some meaning to a life momentarily derailed.
The show is incredibly well presented and makes some great points, though the descent into dangerous delusion seems a little too swift towards the end. A little more build-up with more warning signs could solidify the narrative as a brilliant piece of social commentary turned horror story. The main pillars are definitely there, and only a little tweaking of the descent into madness with a few more steps in-between would do a world of good for this terrifying little show.
