Review: KENREX at The Other Palace

Date: 11/01/2026

Stars: 5

The funny thing about Kenrex is that it doesn’t feel like a one-person play when you’re watching it – that’s the first thing that really sticks out. Jack Holden manages to fill the stage with people, and every character (and there are a fair few of them) has their own voice, their own way of standing and moving, their own way of speaking, and that means you always know exactly who you’re watching and who you’re with – there’s no mental effort involved in keeping track.

The story moves through a small American town called Skidmore, and the man at the centre of it, bully and criminal (although he’s never been convicted), Ken Rex McElroy, but this is not a simple portrait of a villain. What it actually gives you is a whole community, seen from every angle. People who are frightened, people who are angry, people who look the other way, people who think they’re doing the right thing… Holden slides between them so smoothly that it starts to feel like you’re watching a group piece rather than a solo performance.

The sound by Giles Thomas and lighting by Joshua Pharo are completely part of the storytelling – a change in light or a low note from the music can completely change the meaning of a moment without anyone saying a word. John Patrick Elliott’s live score is especially powerful because it’s not just there to underline the emotion, it is the emotion, or at least part of it, and it creates the atmosphere needed to really get your heart pumping.

What makes Kenrex so gripping is how many tones it has at the same time. It’s funny – genuinely funny – but that laughter sits right next to something darker. There are moments that feel sad, moments that are genuinely frightening (leading the audience to gasp out loud), moments that make you hold your breath, and it all comes together to tell one full story. The writing is clever without showing off, and the direction by Ed Stambollouian keeps the story moving in a way that never lets you relax too much, even if you’ve just been made to feel part of the crowd at the annual Punkin Show.

But it’s Holden’s performance that really stays with you. It’s exceptional. Not just technically, although that’s impressive enough, but emotionally. He let’s the audience see all sides of poeple without judging them, and that makes the story feel more real and more unsettling. You’re not told what to think – you’re shown what happened, from every angle, and you’re left to sit with it.

By the end, it feels like you’re watched something rare. This is not just a strong piece of thetrre, but a form that’s been used in a way you don’t often get to see. One actor, a few instruments, some light and sound, mircrophones used as props, and suddenly an entire town is there in front of you.

It’s difficult to think of anything else quite like it.

Kenrex plays at The Other Palace until 1st February 2026: https://theotherpalace.co.uk/kenrex/