‘Beanbags’ at the Union Theatre 2026: A relatable story about moving on, conversations we wish we had and the anchoring power of beanbags

Yesterday I took my first trip to the Union Theatre to watch Kelly Thurston’s play ‘Beanbags.’ The production follows Em (Helen Louise Baird), who is helping her mum, and her sister move out of the family home. Produced by Off Main Stage, a festival that supports new writing, Thurston’s play touches on a variety of themes, including grief and trauma. Although the lighting at times does puncture the natural, candid performances, and the themes could do with slightly more time to develop, Thurston’s work holds some relatable, golden moments – particularly when it focusses on those conversations that we wish we got to have with our loved ones.

It is worth starting with the star of the show – the beanbag! The beanbag works as an anchor for the characters, moving with them through different stages of their lives. Although at times I did find the jumps a tad confusing, the use of the beanbag grounds the story, and allows for plenty of catharsis at the end of the play. Thurston understands the emotional difficulties of transience and moving on, and the beanbag serves this major theme really well. The staging is simplistic but works for the content of the show, although the use of flashing lights used to communicate scene changes do feel slightly disruptive to the naturalism of the piece. The cast communicate Thurston’s vision with honest, candid performances, a standout being Bryony Davies as Becs, who provides some sharp levity throughout the show.

The short run time inevitably means that some themes are brushed over quite lightly, and I assume the 45-minute runtime is more to do with restrictions from above, not artistic choices. I definitely feel that Thurston has the skill to expand the story if granted some more minutes, and these skills really shines in the last few scenes. An imagined conversation between Em and her father, and the family dealing with a dodgy Facebook Marketplace scammer, showcase a deft ability for handling tragedy with comedy, and definitely deepen the themes that have been touched on throughout.

3/5

Thanks for reading!