“What the bloody hell did I just watch?” That was one of my thoughts after PHARMAKON at Greenwich Theatre — and I mean that with genuine curiosity. Some shows tie everything up neatly. This one sends you home with questions.
I attended Cried Wolf Productions’ performance on Tuesday 27 October 2026. Written by Jake Bickford and directed by Isabelle Klein, this intimate piece mixes family drama, addiction and cosmic horror in a way that isn’t always easy to pin down.
Two brothers, one complicated history
At the centre are two estranged brothers, Si (Jake Bickford) and Des (Jesse Lamb), brought back to their family home following their mother’s death. Beneath the unsettling supernatural elements is a recognisable, painful family dynamic.
What particularly interested me was the older brother’s cocaine addiction, the way the younger brother seemed to have taken on something of a parental role, and the difficult line between caring for somebody and enabling them. There is a push and pull between family loyalty and the desire to get away and return to London. Those human tensions gave me something to hold onto when the story took a stranger turn.
When the familiar turns very strange
Then there is the meteorite, the bizarre television imagery, the suggestions of something alien or parasitic, and physical performances that become increasingly unsettling. Some of the facial contortions really stayed with me.
The production embraces surreal, cosmic-horror territory rather than spelling out every connection. I found myself trying to work out what was literal, what might have been symbolic, and what I was meant to take from the ending. I’m still not entirely sure — but perhaps that lingering uncertainty is exactly the point.
Small space, inventive effects
Greenwich Theatre’s intimate studio setting brought the action close. The domestic table and hanging dried plants made an ordinary-looking space feel increasingly uneasy as the story unfolded.
One practical detail I particularly appreciated was the use of pomegranate seeds as a blood effect. It’s such an inventive, tactile choice — and a reminder that fringe horror doesn’t need a huge effects budget to leave an impression.
My verdict: intriguing, unsettling and still on my mind
PHARMAKON is an intriguing, unsettling piece of fringe horror with inventive practical effects and compelling family dynamics, although its surreal storytelling left me wanting a little more clarity.
But here’s the thing: I’m still thinking about it, still questioning it, and still wondering about different interpretations. For a show exploring the unknown, that seems a fitting way to leave an audience.
If you enjoy horror that gives you something to puzzle over rather than handing you all the answers, this is the kind of theatre worth keeping an eye on.
Production details
PHARMAKON — Cried Wolf Productions
Greenwich Theatre, London
Performance attended: 27 October 2026
Written by Jake Bickford
Directed by Isabelle Klein
Cast: Jake Bickford (Si), Jesse Lamb (Des)
