Review: Flyby

📍 Southwark Playhouse Borough

🗓️ 9th April 2026

🎟️ PR Invite

Written by Theo Jamieson, Flyby is a brand-new original British musical currently staging its world premiere at Southwark Playhouse.

It follows the story of Daniel Defoe and Emily Baker, shifting between past and present as we piece together their relationship and what ultimately leads Daniel to disappear into space.

Daniel (played by Stuart Thompson) is an engineer aiming to join a crew going into space, while Emily (played by Poppy Gilbert) is a documentary filmmaker with a difficult past.

The musical poses the question:

“Could you build me a distant lighthouse, with you the light to guide me home?”

The show opens with a bang, quite literally, with the audience visibly jumping at the abrupt start, and I was immediately intrigued as to what the evening would hold.

The set is effective in its storytelling, using projections to indicate time and location changes, and at one point even depicting hundreds of Daniel’s worst memories. The band is cleverly integrated into the set, and the use of lighting and projections works well to establish mood and atmosphere as the story shifts through timelines. 

Flyby Set

The staging is slightly angled, which can make it a bit difficult to read from corner seats, but it didn’t really impact my enjoyment. That said, there was one moment towards the end (which I won’t spoil) that was quite easy to miss from where I was sitting, and it took me a moment to see what had caused the reaction.

We are first introduced to three characters (played by Rupert Young, Gina Beck and Simi Akande), who set the scene and guide us through the story. They appear throughout, helping to clarify shifts in time and location, while also taking on roles connected to the main characters’ lives.

The two leads (played by Poppy Gilbert and Stuart Thompson) both deliver really passionate, emotional performances. Poppy balances Emily’s ambition and vulnerability in a really engaging way, while Stuart captures Daniel’s charm and humour, with an underlying sense of emotional struggle beneath it all.

📸 Provided via Press Release

The chemistry between them is strong, and they balance lighter moments with more intense, confrontational scenes effectively.

The music in this show is really beautiful and delivered well by a strong cast with excellent vocals. However, some numbers don’t land as strongly as others, and a few feel like they don’t fully advance the story. However, the final song sung by Daniel is especially moving and brings the piece to an emotional close.

The concept is strong and ambitious, but still feels like it needs some fine-tuning. The pacing is very fast, especially for a 1 hour 45 minute show, and at times it feels overwhelming, making the plot difficult to follow. 

Likewise, the frequent shifts in timeline don’t always land clearly, and I found this confusing — particularly when arguments between the couple seem to come out of nowhere without enough context. Some dialogue is also delivered very quickly, which adds to this sense of confusion.

While I do appreciate that the messiness is likely deliberate and intended to reflect the nature of their relationship, it doesn’t always fully land.

That said, there is definitely a lot to like about this production. The concept is original and ambitious, and the cast deliver fantastic performances. Every line is delivered with energy and commitment. The relationship between Daniel and Emily is compelling, and it’s clear their pasts have  shaped who they are. The staging is impressive and used creatively — particularly in the depiction of Daniel in space.

Overall, I did enjoy it. There’s a lot of potential and plenty that works well, but it doesn’t quite fully land yet in terms of pacing and clarity. Definitely one to watch.