REVIEWS
"ON ARRIVING" REVIEW ★★★★
FRINGE REVIEW
"The focus is on Eleni’s expressive face and voice, multi-faceted, always intense even in laughter, unforgettable in juddering howls stifled in a foreign land, blankly taking the comfort and discomfort of strangers. Eleni’s hypnotic performance is as fiery as a struck match. Yet she’s classically contained – with just a few explosive rituals to expiate.
It’s not just Eleni’s presence that flares with the humanity cindered by our own cruelty. Her whole performance, these words, say you should be on fire too."
Reviewed by Simon Jenner.
"ON ARRIVING REVIEW ★★★★
THE PLAY'S THE THING
"Sophia Eleni is a tour-de-force in this role; she pulls the audience in and keeps them captivated throughout the piece. We laugh when she laughs, and cry with her, too. Her portrayal of a young refugee woman is unflinching in its presentation of the difficult decisions people on this journey have to make, and the lasting impact these decisions have on her character’s mental health."
Reviewed by Emma Lamond.
"ON ARRIVING" REVIEW ★★★★★
A YOUNGER THEATRE
"On Arriving" is held up by the full force of Eleni’s acting [...] She breathes life into all these characters letting us care and grieve for them alongside her. Her performance is painful, the energy of it reaching even the furthest corners of the room.."
Reviewed by Alexandra Wilbraham.
"ON ARRIVING" REVIEW ★★★★
REVIEWS HUB
"Eleni is quite extraordinary in her ability to shift the mood with just a beat between scenes, one moment devastated and broken, afraid and desperate, the next gleeful and light as the audience is transported back to the hopeful pre-war era. There is considerable pathos in her characterisation which builds its extremes of experience as the story concludes – and notable too that Eleni has composed the music and sound design."
Reviewed by Maryam Philpott.
"ON ARRIVING" REVIEW ★★★★
ONCE A WEEK THEATRE
"Special praise goes to the play’s performer, Sophia Eleni, who does an exceptional job of conveying incredible tension while making the action so clear. Throughout, On Arriving is a huge achievement for Eleni, and surely an emotionally draining experience."
Reviewed by Edward Lukes.