one4review | On 09, Aug 2025

 Fuselage is a deeply moving piece of theatre by actor and playwright Annie Lareau, telling her own very personal story of Pan Am Flight 103 and the lives it touched, rather than the statistics of its tragedy. Set both before and after the disaster, the play follows a group of Syracuse University students during a semester in London – sharing stories, making plans and even organising a trip to Paris. These moments are full of warmth and optimism, making what follows all the more devastating.

At the heart of the narrative is Annie herself, who, the day before the crash, tries to change her ticket to join the rest of the group, including her best friend Theodora (Theo) Cohen, on the doomed flight. The £70 upgrade fee is beyond her reach, and fate keeps her booked on a plane the day after. Theo, full of life and future plans – including performing with Annie after college – boards without her. Before parting, she gives Annie one rose gold earring, keeping its twin, a promise that they’ll be reunited back home. That gesture, simple yet weighted with meaning, becomes a piercing symbol of love, loss, and the future that never came. The main narrative in interspersed with the voices of Lockerbie natives, who witnessed the terrible tragedy playing out in their own small town.

The performances are nothing short of brilliant, holding the audience in quiet, breathless attention before the play’s extremely moving ending releases a standing ovation. By showing not just the victims, but those left behind, Fuselage honours memory with tenderness and truth. This is theatre at its most human – heartbreaking, necessary, and unforgettable.

*****

Reviewed by Howard

Pleasance Above

15.45 to 16.55

Until 25th August (not 13th, 19th)