THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2026
Expösed
Jacob Baird as The Emperor and Ashok Gupta as Yanik in 'Expösed'.
Photo courtesy of Baby Lamb Productions
"The Emperor's Clothes" is a phrase I've heard often as a fan of not only the arts but football, and for derogatory reasons too. The implication, as fans of Hans Christian Andersen's oft-told The Emperor's New Clothes will tell you, is that something or someone believed to be "the real deal" is really underwhelming, insignificant, or worst of all entirely empty. Style ahead of substance, flash ahead of fortitude, fleeting crazes that keep society ticking over as vessels driven by physical and emotional investment before the next person, place or thing of their kind steps in to replace them.
And there's little doubt that Baby Lamb Productions and their gifted ensemble of six have given us a clever and unique adaptation of this mindset and theme for their boisterous and brilliant take on Andersen, Expösed. With a German umlaut in both the play's title and the of course invisible "NüCloth" marketed to the eager, egotistical Emperor at the heart of the story, along with the scenario of a fashion show, this play carries with it a sense of continentality, a smart analysis of the foreign novelties which can initially attract or astonish closed in communities or personalities through what they seem to offer but can later disappoint, threaten or repel the same. It's a classically concise depiction of evolving from retreating, retreating to evolve, and so on and so forth, while the small epiphanies in between truly stick.
Epiphanies like those about the power of persuasive rhetoric, spouted loudly in the very opening scene by fashion show host Michael M Michaels, played by Ashok Gupta. He and his words are the sort which echo Sting's memorable lyrics about politicians all seeming like game show hosts to him, but this is only the beginning, before the cynicism has truly set in, and therefore the characters behold unavoidably chucklesome sights like dresses made of toilet paper or hats made from washing baskets. It's an inspired introduction, properly balancing the sketchy with the satirical, and while that balance isn't always maintained throughout Expösed, its overall tone remains relatively steady, which, considering the concepts that await us, is an impressive feat.
Kiera Murray as Oche, Hannah McLeod as Bree and Nisha Emich as Maureen in 'Expösed'.
Photo courtesy of Baby Lamb Productions
Director, co-star and co-writer Hannah McLeod, and her fellow co-stars and co-writers, are never short on ideas and energy. Presenting the Emperor, played by Belfast actor Jacob Baird, and his "royal court" as an eclectic but stuffy bunch of privileged bratty types is perfect for a group who can't seem to figure out whether they want to be closed off or tuned into the "real world". Fascinating creations such as Nicholas Alexander's Johan, a too-cool-for-school American with nonsensical lingo, McLeod's typically encyclopaedic Alexa, with her physical movement and dress of many colours, Kiera Murray's diva-esque Edna, Nisha Emich's insecure yet inquisitive Areola and Gupta's advisor-like Yanik, simply reek of watchability – and that's prior to the multiple character playing.
Donning coats, caps and accents that wouldn't be out of place in Monty Python, McLeod and Murray are absolute hoots as Bree and Oche, respectively, the swindlers whose foundation and creation is at light and as airy but not as tasty as the French pastry they sound like. Also impressive is Emich's smart and sympathetic but cruelly put upon Maureen. Her multi-lingual skills and sharp deduction align with a reserved appearance which speaks to the conflict between direct confrontation and being too polite or withdrawn to go against the grain, particularly when so much finance and emotion have been invested in the enticement of "bold new projects" – like Bree and Oche's NüCloth. It leads to an inner frustration that wins a deeply felt and deserved level of affection from the audience.
All of that, and the superb Baird finds empathy in the ego of his Emperor – Expösed is, after all, about the exposure of grounded truths, from the train that no one wishes to be derailed, the buzz that no one wants killed and the bubble that one would rather not see burst in a world seemingly run on superficiality. His belief in the NüCloth that never is, has been or was is a commentary in itself, on a symbolic expression of power, the appearance of cultural revolution and the trust placed in one form of outward dependency. In looking further afield to refresh, revitalise and maybe even restart but finding it's not necessarily conducive to progress in its own right. So perhaps the problem isn't that this NüCloth exists, or doesn’t, but that everything hangs upon it – which adds melancholy and mirth to the tale of this Emperor and his clothes. Look before you leap, indeed.
Simon Fallaha
Expösed, a Baby Lamb Production, ran at Belfast's Accidental Theatre from Friday February 6 to Saturday February 7 and will be performed in London's Lion & Unicorn Theatre from Tuesday February 17 to Saturday February 21. For more information on the company, click here.