Review: I Made You A Mixtape

📍 The Cockpit

🗓️ 8th June 2026

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I Made You A Mixtape is neither a play nor a musical – something we're told at the top of the show.

What it is, though, is a really beautiful piece of theatre. One that I genuinely teared up at multiple times while simultaneously watching with the biggest smile on my face.

Produced by Response Theatre Company – the UK's first Meisner-based movement company – this 90s-inspired dance performance is created using the Response Movement Method, which allows the performers' impulsive reactions to the music and to each other to drive the story. 

The exciting thing about this approach is that every performance is different.

Walking into the theatre space, there's 90s music playing and posters on the wall, making the experience feel nostalgic before the show has even begun. Eight days earlier, I had attended a Boyzone concert, so I was more than ready for another dose of 90s nostalgia, and the posters on the wall definitely delivered.

The performance starts with incredible energy, with live music from drummer Oliver Davies and guitarist Tom Kirkpatrick setting the tone from the very first moment. 

Our characters burst onto the stage carrying boxes and board games, instantly transporting you back to the era in which the show is set. The energy is infectious, and their interactions with audience members as they enter make the piece feel immersive right from the off.

Set at a 90s college dorm party, the piece introduces us to nine women – a group of friends – who are each going through their own challenges. 

After this party, their lives will take very different paths, bringing exciting, devastating and challenging experiences that send both them and the audience on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the 60-minute performance.

In between card games, beer pong, board games and excitable chatter, we learn what comes next for each of these women. Cards displayed behind them reveal who they are and where they are in their lives, and through dance, movement and raw emotion, you not only understand how they feel, but begin to feel it too. 

This story isn't told through words; it's told through movement, connection and reactions to one another, and it is incredibly moving.

At various points throughout the performance, I found myself tearing up – sometimes for obvious reasons, other times simply because I was so caught up in what I was watching. The music and passion these women brought to the stage were truly beautiful to witness. 

What impressed me most was how effectively they conveyed such a wide range of emotions in quick succession without saying a single word. The love, support and friendship between them was clear to see, and I was completely swept up in it.

There's a really great mix of emotional moments and high-energy chaos throughout the show. It was an absolute joy to watch. At several points, I looked around the room and realised I wasn't the only one sitting there with the biggest smile on my face.

The energy and joy were incredibly infectious, the music was wonderfully nostalgic – from Alanis Morissette to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Blink-182 – and the props added so much to the atmosphere.

This wonderful cast – made up of Abbey Devoy, Alexa Stevens, Amy Punter, Clair Gleave, Jennifer Kehoe, Katrina Lopes, Lauren O'Sullivan, Maggie Trepanier and Tatiana Ivanova – never once let the momentum drop, keeping the audience engaged, involved and feeling like part of the occasion too. 

It effectively portrays the power of friendship and the emotional highs and lows of growing up, all without saying a single word.

This is a really unique and engaging piece of theatre, unlike anything I have seen before. It's incredibly real, painful, joyful and emotional. I don't attend many dance-based shows, but this drew me in far quicker than I expected, and I'm so happy I said yes to attending.

I left The Cockpit Theatre not only with a glowstick, but with a full heart, a smile on my face and, honestly, feeling a little emotional. For me, this show feels like something really special. 

I Made You A Mixtape is heading to Edinburgh Fringe this August from 7 to 29 August at Big at theSpaceTriplex, and if you can fit it into your schedule, I highly recommend you do.