THE CHILDREN
Lyric Hammersmith
★★★★
“Moving, intelligent and beautifully acted”
Ten years after its Royal Court premiere and Broadway success – receiving two Tony award nominations – ‘The Children’ returns to London with undiminished urgency. A study of people in crisis and generational responsibility, this gripping revival pulses with life, loss and the duties that remain.
After a coastal nuclear disaster, Hazel and Robin scrape a life from the fallout. When an old friend drops in unannounced, buried secrets bubble to the surface. But Rose’s real reason for visiting changes everything. Will they be strong enough to face it?
Written by the award-winning Lucy Kirkwood, ‘The Children’ creates almost uncomfortably real characters. Hazel desperately distracts herself from her own mortality, while self-destructive Robin stares death in the face. Then Rose sweeps in like a rogue wave, steeling herself for a devastating request. It’s a deliciously tangled knot of guilt, denial and responsibility, deftly capturing ordinary people in crisis. Despite its apocalyptic backdrop, the dialogue remains deeply human as people struggle to articulate or conceal their true feelings. The overlapping rhythms feel effortlessly natural, shot through with revealingly sharp humour. And there’s never a wasted detail, everything returning with greater meaning. My only niggles are the intricate plotting perhaps feels a touch too thorough, leaving less space for ambiguity, and it takes a beat longer to wrap up than it could – though to be fair, Hazel’s need for order is entirely true to character. Ultimately, Kirkwood’s writing is deeply moving.
Under Rachel O’Riordan’s assured direction, the humanity hits home. Bristling tension dares you to pick at the web of old wounds. The characters and their relationships feel fully developed, and the pacing is brisk and engaging – though it does slacken a tad towards the close. The movement is subtle yet purposeful, strategically mirroring shifting alliances. Overall, it’s a strong, powerfully crafted revival worthy of its tenth anniversary.
The design beautifully serves the script while adding its own artful flair. Gary McCann’s striking set is full of contrasts: Hazel and Robin’s homely existence squats beneath dark, unbending steel, and tiny glimpses of a realistic sea are offset by the stage’s uneasy tilt. McCann’s costumes subtly reveal and conceal personalities. Anna Watson’s lighting pits domestic warmth against industrial chill, while Holly Khan’s soundscape blends natural and mechanical sounds to unnerving effect – especially the almost imperceptible rumble that quietly raises tension. Campbell Young Associates’ unexpectedly powerful wigs, hair and make-up design drives home the human stakes.
Declan Conlon, Kerry Fox and Meera Syal nail the fraught dynamic of friends with history. Conlon sparkles with devilish charm as Robin, softening his rougher edges just enough land the final reconciliation. Fox makes Rose’s intrusion feel both unsettling and inevitable, balancing steely resolve with honest vulnerability. Syal expertly channels Hazel’s determined denial and frantic fear, though a little more contrast in places would make the performance even stronger.
Moving, intelligent and beautifully acted, catch ‘The Children’ while you can.
THE CHILDREN
Lyric Hammersmith
Reviewed on 12th September 2026
by Hannah Bothelton
Photography by Helen Maybanks
