Review: Affluenza (Riverside Studios)

Review by Angel Nield

⭐⭐

Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp makes his long anticipated London stage debut in the first of five original plays gracing Riverside Studios’ Mainstage 2026-27 series. Written and directed by Andy Sandberg, Affluenza dives into the ultra-wealthy world of the Hamptons, asking some uncomfortable questions about moral accountability, family legacy, privilege, opulence and how the American justice system sometimes bends for those with the deepest pockets.

Loosely based on the controversial defense used in then-16 year old Ethan Couch’s 2013 drunk driving manslaughter case, lawyers successfully argued that extreme parental wealth and lack of discipline left him unable to understand right from wrong and managed to convince the judge to order probation rather than a custodial sentence. The case sparked national outrage at the time, and Affluenza explores what happens when consequences never apply. The play centres around Dylan (Schnapp), a 16 year old boy who has left a wake of tragedy following a drunk driving accident, and how the responses from those around him shapes his life going forward.

Given the shocking recent headlines surrounding Cornell University, the themes explored in Affluenza provide a clear formulation for a timely and thought-provoking play, but unfortunately Sandberg’s writing bounces at breakneck speed through the first act. An underdeveloped subplot randomly introduces a father seeking justice for his seriously injured daughter - this is never touched upon again, aside from a particularly cleverly directed press conference where the aforementioned father (Donald Sage Mackay) jumps between prepared answers to the onlooking reporters and a powerful monologue of his true inner thoughts, glossing over the trial and subsequent reactions entirely.

The second half feels like a separate play entirely, centering around a now adult Dylan and his foul-mouthed girlfriend seeking their 15-minutes of fame through a ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ style reality show, much to the reluctance of his own teenage son. It took me until halfway through the second half (and a completely random lipsync performance of Joan Osborne’s “One Of Us”) to realise we were now supposed to be understanding how his lack of social education growing up has led into dysfunctional adulthood, and how his own son feels trapped into the same cycle. With so many fascinating and uncomfortable-yet-necessary concepts at play, the inclusion of a dramaturg would really bring in some much needed restructuring to the bizarre tangents and convoluted storytelling clouding such a fascinating concept. 

Despite receiving top billing, Schnapp has surprisingly little to sink his teeth into as the entitled and insufferable Dylan, but has much more of the spotlight as Dylan’s own son Todd in the second half. Full of convincing angst and resentment, Schnapp gives a scene stealing performance as the dissatisfied son of a father who has amounted to so little he has resulted into selling their private lives for attention, terrified of repeating the cycle and feeling completely isolated by all the adults around him. 

The rest of the cast do a stellar job multi-rolling despite the clunkiness of the script. MacKay is suitably defensive, arrogant and out of touch as Dylan’s venal father, adding some hilarious (though slightly misplaced) comic relief as the cameraman and tugging at the heartstrings of the audience as one of the victim’s devastated father. Juliet Cowan delivers a duo of convincing performances, not only as the permanently dazed, clueless mother of Dylan but also through a powerful portrayal as the grieving angered mother of one of his victims.

Elsewhere, Rupert Young brings some gravitas to Brad, the conflicted lawyer who takes on the case, and really comes into his own as the socially and emotionally stunted adult Dylan. He is challenged by his court psychologist wife who coined the titular term, played by Wallis Currie-Wood, who later doubles as the wildly hammy and over-the-top girlfriend of the now adult Dylan, Crystal. Strictly Come Dancing’s Janette Manrara (who made her acting debut as Roxie Hart in 2025) floats from maid to lawyer to boom mic operator, giving as much gusto and depth to such underwritten two dimensional characters as she can muster but still manages to create a highly impactful and expressive performance.

Charlie Corcoran’s handsome set brings to life the elaborate luxury of the family’s stylish Hamptons’ pad, with slick moving parts that easily become the other locations of the storyline and help to build a visual of the hold money has on all aspects of life. A clever combination of Jack Weir’s lighting and Emily Drohan’s sound designs create impactful, thought provoking openings and closings of scenes, inviting uncomfortable yet important conversations to flow long after the curtain falls. 

Affluenza should be one of those shows that you can hear a pin drop in the auditorium long after the final line has been delivered, and with so much potential to really dig deep to analyze how huge amounts of wealth can damage the development of integrity and social awareness, its a real shame that a combination of tangent-filled writing and confusing direction prevented this potential from being reached. A fascinating and apt concept that, like Dylan himself, never quite finds its purpose.

Affluenza plays at Riverside Studios until November 21st. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/affluenza-tickets

Photos by Danny Kaan