★★½

“Harry McDonald’s dialogue is snappy and Charlotte Vickers’ direction energetic, but little can save the meandering aimlessness of this story”

This new adaptation brings Ali Smith’s 2016 novel, which is widely viewed as ‘the first post-Brexit novel’ to the stage.

Across two timelines we follow 13-year-old Elisabeth Demand as she befriends her whimsical elderly neighbour Daniel Gluck and the same two characters, 20 years later as Daniel lies comatose in a care facility. There are also a couple of scenes which deviate into the fantastical. A scene between Daniel and his sister, which takes place in a dream world and a scene which details the life of 1960s pop artist Pauline Boty.

Harry McDonald’s dialogue is snappy and Charlotte Vickers’ direction energetic, but little can save the meandering aimlessness of this story, which follows an unlikeable and uninteresting protagonist.

Grace Venning’s set design is playful, props are pulled from drawers and a chaise longue is propped against a backdrop of autumnal trees. There’s innovative use of plastic dust sheets, especially in an evocation of The Tempest. It’s this moment too where Ali Hunter’s lighting design comes into force. Jamie Lu’s sound is most interesting in its subtle hum of the care facility.

There are some glittering moments. Daniel and his sister, who charmingly calls him her summer brother, dance around each other while she’s dressed in a suit of armour. Gary Lilburn as Daniel is joy encapsulated. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he embodies the aging bohemian, making it achingly clear that this story should follow him, by far the most interesting character. This scene particularly sparkles, in part because of clever movement direction from Vickers, but also because of the stunning performance from Nancy Crane. She multi roles throughout the show, some highlights being the smug bureaucratic Post Office worker, the knowing Eastern European cleaner and the New York psychotherapist. She gives each of these women a depth and realism and brings an effortless wit. For much of the show she watches on from the side-lines, a peculiar directorial choice, but her reactions are scene stealing. Lilburn and Crane’s playfulness and joy in this scene is a delightful respite from the gloom that hangs over much of the play.

Both Rebecca Banatvala and Sophie Ward are also strong, as mother and daughter, it’s just that their characters are hard to pinpoint. Elisabeth is utterly joyless, with a single-minded focus on Gluck, which is never fully untangled. Her mother is under explored, and her state of the nation monologues feel tired, nearly a decade on. While ostensibly a political commentary, nothing new or fresh is discussed. Characters bemoan their tiredness with the system, the liars, the current situation. There are comments on racist graffiti and the migrant crisis but it feels tangential to the main narrative. This play doesn’t fully decide what it is, whether it’s a family drama or a state of the nation lament. And it’s not clear what, in 2024, it is adding to the conversation about Brexit, which is relevant or interesting to today.

FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story”

Most of us have a gut reaction to the question ‘Would you like to live forever?’ But once it subsides, we discover that it is impossible to answer. The quandary is as old as life itself: nobody wants to die, but nobody wants to live forever either.

The recent progress in genetic research has allowed scientists to discover ways of slowing down the ageing process. Without trying to go into detail (and thereby revealing the extent of my ignorance) it has something to do with cellular reprogramming and altering molecules that turn DNA on and off. A bit like restarting a computer. It works on worms. And mice. This is science fact. Enabling humans to live forever may still be science fiction, but only for about another decade, according to Emma Hemingford’s stylish and imaginative new play “Foreverland”.

There is the danger that tackling such a subject can lead to a rather dull essay involving the characters discussing abstract concepts. But Hemingford avoids all the potential clichés and truisms, and instead weaves the complexities and conundrums into a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story. One that centres on a romantic relationship that is instantly recognisable and relatable.

Jay (Christopher York) and Alice (Emma McDonald) are a couple in their thirties, about to embark on treatment to prolong their lives – perhaps indefinitely. It is a fairly risk-free surgical procedure, but pre-op nerves are kicking in. The treatment is irreversible. But there is a ‘get out’ clause later down the line. Both York and McDonald capture this essence perfectly in the opening scene, with humour and poignancy. Aided by Valerie Antwi’s deliciously cool and mockingly sympathetic Doctor Lane, we get a clear insight into the bonds, and the cracks, in their marriage; along with subtle, almost invisible, hints as to how the drama might unfold.

Director Frederick Wienand guides the play’s characters through specific leaps in time with effortless artistry. We fast forward a few years in a matter of seconds; scene changes flashing before us indicated by the performers’ evolving mannerisms and inflections, like the rapidly moving hands of the clock. Except in Jay and Alice’s world, the pressure of the clock has gone. The performances are captivating as the couple navigate their journey towards immortality. Is it idyllic or terrifying? In their own way, York and McDonald explore what having unlimited time does to them psychologically. Jay and Alice soon have a daughter (the wonderfully natural and dynamic Emily Butler), who soon grows up into the radical adult who questions her parent’s choices (Una Byrne). What does the promise of unlimited time mean for the world; socially, ethically, and politically? Byrne’s fiery influence not only shakes up the onstage characters, but it urges us all to take stock and consider our own views.

“Foreverland” can be seen as a parable for our time. One that goes far deeper than the ‘be-careful-what-you-wish-for’ résumé. We suddenly find ourselves in uncomfortable territory. Immortality, it seems, is only for the privileged. Progress only happens when people die. Big topics, but the writing condenses them into human emotions and domestic quibbles that resonate on a personal level. Not every emotion rings true, and there are a couple of moments when we are not sure what informs their decisions, but the performances remain powerful – right through to the heart-wrenching final scene. The silence that hovers above the audience reflects the stillness of the closing dialogue. Like the pause before the next heartbeat. There is one final choice to make.

Part fairy-tale, part docudrama, part sci-fi, part kitchen-sink, part love story, part comedy, part dystopia; but fully engaging, gripping, intelligent and funny. A fresh and intriguing take on one of mankind’s oldest obsessions. You might think you have all the time in the world, but don’t leave it too long to see this show.

AUTUMN at Park Theatre

★★½

“Harry McDonald’s dialogue is snappy and Charlotte Vickers’ direction energetic, but little can save the meandering aimlessness of this story”

AUTUMN at Park Theatre

Reviewed on 18th October 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Harry Elletson

Previously reviewed at this venue:

AUTUMN

AUTUMN

FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“a gorgeously heartfelt and intimate story”

FOREVERLAND at Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 4th October 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Charlie Lyne

Previously reviewed at Southwark Playhouse venues:

FOREVERLAND

FOREVERLAND