Brighton Fringe 2026
History has no safe word
Genre: Fringe Theatre, One Person Show, Theatre
Venue: St Mary's Church
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
A gripping and masterfully performed one-hander that vividly brings Pompeii to life through sharp writing and immersive stagecraft.
Review
In the centre of the impressive St. Mary’s Church in Kemptown, a carpeted thrust surrounded by a smattering of chairs; we are advised not to sit on the pews. This historical one-hander, written and performed by Jonathan Brown, deserves a far bigger audience – we’ll come to that. But it is a suitably grandiose setting for the narrative about to unfold.
Nathan Zangari is a Professor of Archaeo-Linguistics in the dying embers of a once-illustrious career. He made his reputation with a landmark paper on “Graffiti, Women and the Walls of Pompeii”. But that was years ago. Now he can’t sleep. He can’t get published. And he can’t get laid. He attends a sleep research clinic at his university, where he learns that he talks in his sleep. But is it really his voice…?
And the stage is set – albeit sparsely – for a highly accomplished piece of writing and performance that explores gender politics and research ethics through a visceral portrayal of life in Pompeii on the eve of the infamous Vesuvian eruption in 79 CE.
At two hours (including an interval), Brown has a lot of work to do, but the economic staging is more than compensated for by his masterful stagecraft. Alternating between the modern day and ancient Rome, the piece is immersive and engaging throughout due to his creative use of the space, while convincing voices and mannerisms delineate between characters.
The lighting and projections are basic but effective, and a soundscape helps bring ancient Rome to life. Some of the sound effects are louder than others, and I would advise against sitting too near the speaker – the dialogue was difficult to discern at times.
Brown clearly knows his history, and the way he brings Pompeii to life is nothing short of astonishing. There is a gripping action scene in the second half that had my wife reaching out her arms to intervene, so immersed was she in the story.
After this climax, the ending felt slightly puzzling and we were left with a few questions about where the characters landed. Perhaps this befits the theme of historical inquiry – it is forever open to interpretation. Either way, this show deserves a far bigger audience. There are two performances left in this run, on May 15 and 16. If historical drama is your thing, you’re in for a treat.
