I have to start this review by sharing a hilarious encounter I had on the way home from my latest London adventure in the ever-classy and high-brow dining experience, Wetherspoons. While chatting to a visibly intoxicated group of strangers, I mentioned that I was visiting London to see a production called Five, which was met with a wave of excitement as my newfound friends talked about how they had not only heard of the show, but had been trying to get tickets for ages. After a brief conversation, we quickly discovered that they were in fact talking about Six the Musical (which you can actually read our review of at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/09/28/bristol-adventure-experience-review/), which could not have been more different from the show I had actually seen. While Six is a pop-infused, concert-style musical about the former wives of Henry VIII, Five, on the other hand, tells the story of a relentlessly curious true-crime podcast host who very quickly gets a little too involved in the world he is supposedly exploring. Those who have been part of the “Rhys Reviews” cinematic universe for a little while will be aware that just over two weeks ago we sat down with the wonderful Lilwen Faulkner (which you can watch at https://youtu.be/RvRpUd4pFvE?si=aJx0kXC3NcEmGDfR) to talk about her brand-new production, Five, which was headed to the incredible The Lion and Unicorn Theatre. Having visited this stage multiple times before — most recently to see Witch Girl Summer (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2026/03/18/witch-girl-summer-production-review/) — we were curious to see how the intimate, thrust-style theatre would benefit the podcast-driven production, and we have to say that this quite possibly could have been the perfect stage for the show. Not only does the live audience make sense, as the medium the characters are presenting in is often received by a captive audience, but it also essentially forced the viewers to focus solely on the two performers themselves instead of looking around at scenery, backstage goings-on, etc. Additionally, this staging added to the production itself, as the scenes are structured to represent episodes in a podcast, with every blackout being used cleverly to represent a new day of filming. This meant there were no awkward audience transitions or lengthy scene changes, and the audience remained on the edge of their seats from the very moment the show began — and even moments before. The team behind Half Light Creative took this idea one step further, however, as they injected the perfect amount of immersiveness into the show. As the audience entered the stage space, the rather ominous Five Lovers Killer — which is an excellent name, as the entire show battles against the idea of humanising serial killers, but more on that later — loomed centre stage in a straightjacket, and I have to admit that his intense stare physically made me feel unsettled moments before the show had even begun.
Taking on the role of the intimidating Five Lovers Killer was the incredibly talented Zak Rosen , who was not only able to capture this eerie and unsettling persona in the opening moments, but was also able to take the audience on a clear journey through the events that led him to become who he is. I do have to admit that, due to already being spooked by this character before the show had even begun, we spent the entire production transfixed by this performance, and every time the lights went out we tried to ensure we still had eyes on him, as he was presented as an incredibly unstable and unpredictable entity. Despite being rather terrifying in the opening moments of the show, Zak was able to transition into a much more flamboyant and charismatic character as the performance progressed, delivering a series of hilarious quips and jokes throughout. This made perfect sense, as the entire narrative revolves around his alluring and persuasive nature, and the audience were totally invested in the character, once again lending itself perfectly to the archetype of a podcast guest. In the aforementioned interview with creator and director Lilwen Faulkner, we chatted about how she did not intend to humanise or create sympathy for the Five Lovers Killer, as this is often a trope many true-crime channels fall into. In fact, the Killer even makes a point within the show to explain that he does not want to be humanised or familiarised with, as he is fully aware that what he has done to end up in this situation are truly the actions of a monster. One of the most powerful lines in the show sees the Killer state that “sometimes people are just monsters” when referring to himself, which really drove home the fact that many true-crime pages often use this process to almost ignore the horrific things these individuals have done. This is not only damaging to those they have attacked, but also to the families who may stumble upon a recording or interview.
The other half of this two-hander was the wonderful Filippo Brozzo, who takes on the role of the eager podcaster granted exclusive access to chat with the Five Lovers Killer for his show Murders with Morris. This character begins the show incredibly professionally and by the book, as he follows the instructions of the off-stage guards and carries out his journalistic duties exactly as they should be. However, we quickly see that Morris — as he is referred to within the show itself — becomes captivated by the Killer’s charm, and his love of true crime becomes far more than he could ever have imagined. I do not want to give too much away, but Morris slowly becomes more and more like the Killer as the story progresses, with the audience clearly seeing every step of this transformation, which is a true testament to how excellently these characters were portrayed by both Filippo and Zak. One of the most poignant scenes in the entire production sees Morris chatting with his podcast guest as they begin to discuss the series of events that led to the deaths of the five former lovers, particularly focusing on the Killer’s preferred method of strangulation. This leads to an incredible sequence later in the show where Morris finds himself in the grasp of the Killer after releasing him from his straightjacket, only for Morris to suddenly want to flip roles and try it for himself. This was a deeply unsettling scene that was staged wonderfully, as the awkward silence following the request marked a key turning point in Morris’ involvement in the world he was supposed to be documenting. These constant narrative seeds all culminate in the closing moments of the show, where Morris realises he has become far too involved. The reveal of this fascination was executed flawlessly, as his gloves are ripped off by the Five Lovers Killer, revealing incriminating evidence of what had transpired prior to this recording. A particular highlight for me was the scene following this reveal, as Filippo moved through an intense array of perfectly performed emotions while grappling with his own actions and the realisation that things may have gone too far.
Overall, Five is an intensely gripping and captivating show that keeps the audience totally invested from the very beginning — and even just before — with the perfect sprinkling of comedic moments to break the tension throughout. The show highlights how dangerous an obsession with true crime can become and serves as a warning to those who may be in the early stages of their own fascination, which seems to be an increasingly shared experience today. Both actors are able to clearly capture every step of this journey, with the production elements and even the staging itself flawlessly blending together to portray this descent. I would rate this show 5 out of 5 stars!
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