Review: Flyology

📍 Union Theatre

🗓️ 6th May 2026

Following previous workshops, concerts and readings at several venues, new musical Flyology is currently staging its first full run at the Union Theatre.

Walking into the performance, we’re immediately met with Callum — pacing the stage, mingling with audience members and asking if they’re going to invest. As it turns out, we are playing the guests at a tech launch. Callum, the founder, is aiming to show off a new predictive AI system trained to identify disruption before it happens

But when the system glitches mid-demo, Callum is faced with more than he bargained for as three women from history are pulled into the simulation. While he scrambles to fix it, the story unfolds around him.

The three women depicted are Ada Lovelace, Ethel Smyth and Emmeline Pankhurst — all real historical figures. Ada Lovelace, who at the age of twelve was designing steam-powered flying horses and later wrote the world’s first computer program; Ethel Smyth, who refused to do what she was told. Raised in a military family who frowned upon her becoming a composer, she went on to write six operas and the anthem of the suffrage movement; and finally Emmeline Pankhurst, who spent her life being arrested, evading the police and organising “disruptive marketing”.

All three women are strong characters with their own reasons for wanting to fight back against the system. We get a clear sense of their lives and their hopes for the future.

The strongest element of this piece is the music by Tamiko Dooley, with lyrics by Tamiko Dooley and Cathy Farmer.

The score is incredibly beautiful, filled with wonderful melodies, while the harmonies throughout remain powerful and impactful. Several numbers involve different characters singing lyrics specific to their own experiences within the story, and it all blends together incredibly well — particularly when the three women perform together.

Accompanied by piano played by Tamiko herself, the music adds so much to the overall emotional impact of the show. One closing moment in particular moved me so much that I started to tear up.

The set and lighting were effective in supporting the story. In particular moments throughout the performance, the lighting really captured both the emotions of the characters and the technical aspects of the AI working...or not working.

However, there were moments where the lighting didn’t fully serve the piece, with characters occasionally left out of the light for slightly too long.

There’s a good balance of comedy and more serious moments throughout the play. Much of the comedy comes from Charlie Renwick as Callum, who captures the character’s personality well from the moment the audience walks into the theatre. He’s pompous, full of himself and dismissive of the value of women, yet the second things start going wrong, he immediately runs to call his own mother.

Meg Abbot, Ashleigh Cassidy and Aishling Jones are just as formidable in their roles, capturing the essence of the inspirational women they portray. Meg Abbot especially shines as Ada Lovelace, capturing both her yearning for the life she left behind and her dream of finishing her book.

The relationship between Ethel Smyth (Ashleigh Cassidy) and Emmeline Pankhurst (Aishling Jones) is also beautiful to watch as they pivot from a frosty introduction to a far more heartwarming relationship later on.

Each performer handles their solo numbers beautifully, while the group numbers allow their vocals to blend seamlessly together without losing the individuality of their stories.

The voice of the AI system itself is performed offstage by Charlotte Webb, who speaks to the characters and helps to shape the storyline throughout — including a few twists along the way.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about this piece. It’s a strong concept with a stunning score, a powerful story and a wonderful cast, but it would benefit from some tightening of the book to really elevate the experience for the audience.

Having attended a reading of the piece last year, it was great to see a staged version and I’m excited to see what happens next for this new musical. It’s clever and impactful, and with a little more tightening, it could be even stronger.