June 5, 2026
The Empty, performed by Clean Break’s Young Company (a training programme for young women and non-binary people aged 18-25 who have lived experiences of the criminal justice system, or who may be at risk of criminalisation), premiered at the Tara Theatre in Wandsworth on 14th May 2026, running for three nights. The 15th May performance, which is the one we attended, was followed by a panel discussion on the criminalisation of protest in the UK.
The play centres on GenZero, a youth climate activist collective, which has been coaxed in a bold and risky direction by its new leader, Mei. They have occupied a young couple’s lavish second home in the countryside, and are about to up the ante by taking their activism online and into the realms of hacking and social media.
While the other members seem in thrall to Mei’s charisma and hubristic vision, original leader Mikayla – just released from prison – is deeply disturbed both by the action her comrades are contemplating and the fact she appears to have been usurped in her absence. However, Mei knows something about Mikayla’s past that she weaponises to secure her position as new leader, and the group puts her plan into action. Ultimately, GenZero’s foray into activism in the digital age backfires dramatically, destroying GenZero itself in the process.
GenZero’s cause is essentially a MacGuffin. The Empty is about the young women who have chosen to join GenZero. Some genuinely impressive performances by the young cast successfully brought out the complex and sometimes contradictory reasons each has for doing so – and the complex and sometimes contradictory relationships they have with the system they are trying to tear down. Mei convincingly exploits the other’s ‘weaknesses’ to compel them towards what is essentially their self-destruction.
At the Tara Theatre, the audience is wrapped around a small square stage. With no stage dressing and very few props, the cast – supported by a dynamic script and some clever sound and light effects – managed to convincingly conjure up the Insta-worthy squat in which all the action takes place.
All in all, The Empty was multi-layered, funny, innovative and engaging. It left us with a lot to think about around the draws of activism and how it can have far-reaching consequences for the individual – particularly as activism and protest are increasingly criminalised in the UK.
Review written by Zoë Chapman and Nicholas Hall.
