Review: The Lost Library Of Leake Street (The Glitch)

Review by Heva Kelly

⭐️⭐️ 

Following a sell-out run in 2024, The Lost Library Of Leake Street returns for a festive season at The Glitch in Waterloo. Immediately struck by the premise, I was excited to see Oli Savage’s newest version, but would this Christmas tale set in a library be destined for the thriller section, or would it be more of a horror?

The Lost Library Of Leake Street follows a young girl named Isla (Ronay Poole). Whilst looking for a Christmas present for her mum, she stumbles upon the lost library where she meets Maximillian Crimp (Malcolm Jeffries). Together they hurtle through stories that are held within objects, rather than books. This rather unusual library is where Isla and Max become primed to reveal their own stories before parting ways for Christmas. 

The premise of a hidden library that is, in fact, not a library as we know it, but a resting place for discarded objects, is a gripping one, and one that is full of potential. All objects have stories attached to them and an ability to propel those who touch the object physically into the story. This dreamlike blend surrealism, is reminiscent of Murakami’s captivating short stories or books such as ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. However, where those books triumph, and this show struggles is in the creation of the ‘magic’. Whilst the odd magic trick has been thrown in at the start for our amusement, it has little relevance to the plot and generally feels like a cheap, unrelated thrill. Where we really want to see the magic is in the touching of the objects and the projection into the next story. It feels like so much could have been done here to create that feeling. Crimp has got the right idea, but unfortunately missed a trick with where to place it.

The set is fantastic, with detail that truly makes you feel immersed in a strange shop that’s a mix of ‘tat’, grandma's old living room and odd-bod museum. Both Jeffries and Poole do an excellent job of leading us into the mysterious world that’s been carefully designed around us -Poole especially, with an excellent opening monologue written by Savage that sets the mysterious and welcoming tone of the show. Jeffries and Poole share some great comedic moments that create a warm-heartedness and feeling of ease for the audience. 

However, as the show progresses, what makes us uncomfortable is the lack of clarity around Isla’s age. Whilst from the atmosphere we understand she will come to no harm, this is still a story of a young girl alone with a man she doesn’t know, who is persistently managing to make her stay longer than she intends to every time she says she needs to leave. This, combined with a heavy theme of loss and death, just doesn’t necessarily scream Christmas. We understand the point is that Max is lonely, and they’ve found a friendship through bonding over their loss, but it’s still odd when Jeffries looks no more than middle-aged at a push, and Isla is conveyed as a young girl. Perhaps if Max Crimp were played by someone a lot older, we’d connect more to this idea of loneliness being more genuine, but I fear that the ‘creepy’ element might be hard to shift.

The stories within the story are really nice, but they all tend to happen so fast. There’s so much dialogue to the point that we are fed through narration absolutely everything, including how to feel, at such a quick pace. It is impressive for the actors to know the script inside out and be able to deliver at such speed, but there’s not always enough physical action or variety in place to keep us gripped. To feel this as an adult means for children watching, whose minds work so visually, makes me question who this show is really for?

The Lost Library of Leake Street is onto something, with the beginnings of an uplifting Christmas story that breaks away from traditions. The story also has a charming connection to the Waterloo area, where The Glitch is found, making for a memorable experience. It was clear when leaving the theatre, hearing other audience members state “that was lovely,” that The Lost Library of Leake Street did an excellent job at kickstarting a feeling. The warmth is definitely there, the inspiring set, the exciting premise, the connected actors – there’s just a bit of fine-tuning to be done and a few baubles to re-hang on the tree for it to be the perfect picture and give us the winter wonderland feel we are hoping for. 

The Lost Library Of Leake Street plays at The Glitch until 22nd December. Tickets from https://www.theglitch.london/the-lost-library 

Photos by Phoebe Dyer