Surely it can’t be hard to sell cheese, can it? Inspired by her own experiences of working in a cheese shop, this new comedy by writer and director Bylli Gomez pokes fun at middle class Britain through a lens of millennial problems. 30 year old Bee, living with her mum after losing both her job and her relationship, is desperate to find work. When she gets a trial shift at a cheese shop, things go from bad to worse for her as she ends up stealing a jacket, destroying an expensive wheel of cheese and drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine.
Gomez herself plays Bee, a woman carving her own way through life, in spite of her constantly disappointed mother. Bee’s mistakes are endless, but that doesn’t stop her. Gomez makes her character endearing and expressive, easily getting the audience on side, so that through all the chaos, we’re rooting for things to work out for her. Gomez is supported by a strong cast, notably Roger Parkins as Philip, the well-off letch, whose wife catches him flirting at the cheese shop, and Aidan Witten as Freddie, Bee’s choice for a one-night stand to help her forget the mess she’s made.
Originally written as a TV show pilot but transformed into this funny and entertaining one hour play, The Big Cheese works well as a piece of theatre. With minimal props and a set of just a few chairs and a flight case, the actors make the space come alive as a cheese shop, Bee’s bedroom, a cafe and a living room, with scenes frequently changing as Bee hurtles from one chaotic moment to the next. The show is full of references to the ridiculousness of the world she lives in. From horror at a coffee costing over £6, to Bee’s inability to live up to anyone’s expectations, much of the humour comes from how well Gomez has observed the nuances of middle class life and portrayed them in a way that the audience can recognise and empathise with.
The show runs until the 11th of October at The Golden Goose in Oval. Tickets and more Lambeth Fringe details are available here: https://lambethfringe.com/events
Reviewer: Charlotte Mansfield
Reviewed: 10th October 2026
North West End UK/Theatre Muse UK rating: ****
