Lost Watches – Park Theatre, London

A sculpture of William S. Burroughs becomes an unlikely confidant in Lost Watches, a playful and chaotic absurdist comedy at Park Theatre.

Lost Watches

Right, let’s get one thing out of the way: I know very little about the Beat Generation. One of whom is central to today’s play, Lost Watches. But theatre’s as good a place as any to get curious and learn. Also, apparently, to get covered in glitter.

The Beat novelist (not poet) in question is William S. Burroughs. Or a sculpture of him, at least. The bust was made by the late mother (Gabriella Moran) of Alan (Lorenzo Allchurch), who now spends his last weekend in the family home before repossession. Alan’s world is small. No friends to speak of. A brother and father (both played by Moran) who don’t offer much comfort. Maybe because Alan’s been working three jobs trying and failing to save the house. It’s the bust of Burroughs who becomes his closest confidant. And perhaps, provocateur. Is he just stirring chaos, or trying to liberate Alan as he claims?

Lost Watches, written by Allchurch, sets itself up as an absurdist comedy. Drawing, one assumes, on the Beats’ appetite for disruption. There’s no drug-fuelled, typewriter-pounding frenzy here. But talking to a sculpture isn’t exactly a sign of a level head either (pun intended). The bust is voiced by Jason Isaacs: a coup, and no doubt a draw for some. Still, I wondered whether a live actor playing Burroughs might have offered a richer dynamic. That said, the third actor in this three-hander (Leah Aspden) provides plenty of texture, playing Burroughs’ arms and legs and doing so with remarkable charisma.

Absurdist, But To What End?

So yes: this is absurdist theatre. It’s not the most coherent piece I’ve seen recently. Character development is light: a blur of montage near the end tries to fill the gap. I’m still not sure why Borroughs is Alan’s supernatural confidant, rather than any other possibility. And the play doesn’t offer its audience a clear emotional or philosophical throughline. But it’s frequently entertaining, especially in the scenes where Aspden drops the limbs and reappears as the wonderfully deadpan PC Dread.

Two choices from this production stood out. First, the projections by Ryan Watson (Rob Davis is Production Designer & Art Director), which I really liked. They’re cleanly executed, and help shift the space without any need for elaborate staging. Second, the glitter. Which I did not like. Fine glitter, notorious for its persistence, hangs in the air and coats everything: the Park90 space, your clothes, your hair, your thoughts. I’m not sure that what it adds is worth the mess.

But if glitter’s my biggest complaint, I’m doing alright. I still don’t know much about the Beat Generation, but I know a little more than I did. Enough to know not to trust them with major life decisions. I saw a play that tried something different. And I heard a bonus poem. A good night out, surely.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5

Lost Watches is on at Park Theatre until 23 August 2025. More info and tickets here.