Charlie & Striptease

Two razor sharp political satire plays from the Soviet era, Charlie & Striptease, will come to the Golden Goose Theatre in Camberwell this spring.

Written by the award-winning Polish playwright Sławomir Mrożek in the 1960s and 1970s, when Poland was formally part of the Soviet Union, the plays showcase his distinctive blend of absurdity and biting social commentary.

Through a series of hilarious and unsettling dramatic incidents, Mrożek draws back the curtain on the machinery of a paranoid political system, exposing the fear and suspicion that thrive beneath it.

💛 Date: 21st April – Saturday 9th May 2026

💛  Location: Golden Goose Theatre, 146 Camberwell New Rd, London SE5 0RR

💛 Time: 7:30 pm

💛 Tickets: https://www.goldengoosetheatre.co.uk/whatson/charlie-and-striptease

'Funny and brilliantly performed… comic timing is perfect' - Birmingham Fest

'Mystery, suspense and plenty of laughs… a macabre fantasy brought to life by peerless performances' - Gary Hudson, former chief reporter BBC Midlands

INTERVIEW: Rowland Hill

Simon Brandon & Roland Hill

Rowland Hill, a British theatre director, writer and actor,is the founding Director of both ArtReach and DRH Arts. His play, Who is Claude Cahun? ran for four weeks at @swkplay in 2025 and his previous play, Draining the Swamp (in which he played Oswald Mosley) toured in 2023 and 2024. Other recent acting credits include Michael in the feature film Murder Ballads with Simon Callow. He is currently writing a biography of playwright and screen writer, Barrie Keeffe. Rowland is Chair of the @the_garrick, Lichfield and a director/trustee of the @gatetheatre in London.

Interviewer: Nicole Kent

Can you tell us about the play and how the idea came about?

The production features two short plays by Polish writer Sławomir Mrożek. They’re political comedies written during the Soviet era in the 1960s, but what’s striking is how relevant they feel today. The idea came from studying Eastern European theatre as part of a PhD. The director had actually encountered Mrożek’s work before and was keen to explore it further. We staged an earlier version at the Birmingham Theatre Festival last year, and the response was fantastic, which encouraged us to develop it further.

What are the plays about?

The first play, Striptease, involves two men trapped in a mysterious room. A strange “hand” appears and begins giving them instructions, which gradually become more intrusive and threatening. The humour comes from their confusion and the absurdity of the situation, but underneath that is a growing sense of menace. The second play, Charlie, follows two eccentric characters—a grandfather and grandson—who visit an optician looking for glasses. At first it feels comedic and surreal, but it slowly becomes clear they’re searching for someone named Charlie… and their intentions are far more sinister than they first appear. Both plays balance absurd humour with darker themes.

What themes do the plays explore?

At their core, the plays explore life under authoritarian regimes—particularly the fear, paranoia, and lack of control people experienced in communist Eastern Europe. There’s a strong theme of mistrust: the idea that neighbours might inform on each other, or that ordinary people could suddenly disappear. What makes the plays powerful is that they don’t address these ideas directly—they approach them through absurdity and satire. That indirect style allowed Mrożek to critique the system without being overtly censored.

Why do you think these plays are still relevant today?

Although they were written decades ago, the themes resonate strongly now. Around the world, we’re seeing growing concerns about authoritarianism, surveillance, and freedom of speech. The plays don’t tell audiences what to think, but they encourage reflection. They invite people to consider how power operates and how easily fear and control can shape behaviour.

How did audiences respond to earlier performances?

Audiences responded incredibly well, especially to the humour. What was fascinating is that different audiences laughed at different moments. Some lines that weren’t expected to get big reactions ended up being highlights, which keeps you very alert as an actor. You have to adapt your timing and allow space for those unexpected reactions.

Did you do research to prepare for the roles?

Yes, although not in a traditional sense. There was some exposure to Eastern European history through travel—visiting places like Berlin, Romania, and Bulgaria—and seeing museums and historical sites related to that era. One particularly striking experience was visiting the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin, where preserved artefacts revealed the extent of surveillance, even down to collecting people’s scent samples. However, what’s unusual about these plays is that the characters themselves don’t know how they got into their situation. So alongside research, there was also a need to invent backstories and imagine their lives while maintaining that sense of uncertainty.

What do you hope audiences take away from the performance?

First and foremost, I hope audiences have an enjoyable evening—something funny, engaging, and entertaining. Beyond that, I hope the plays provoke thought. Theatre shouldn’t dictate what people think, but it can encourage reflection. If audiences leave considering the themes and drawing their own conclusions, then the play has done its job.