855-FOR-TRUTH – Hope Theatre, Islington

Writer: Eva Hudson
Director: Lydia McKinley

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Loses Momentum“

2.5 / 5

Meredith and Isaac both agree that the world is coming to an end – though their ideologies on why, are vastly different. Isaac is an environmentalist, following the science that shows nature turning against the planet and signifying the end. Meredith is part of a Christian cult, guided to the apocalypse in the scriptures she studies day and night. Do their paths crossing signify more destruction, or could their union be a sign of hope?

The woodland landscape is simply shown but well conveyed in Rhi Binnington’s set design – the calm wilderness atmosphere automatically setting the scene, which combined with Brett Kasza’s ethereal lighting design, often puts the trees front and centre of the narrative. When Isaac (Max Raphael) and Meredith (Molly Hanly) first meet they are staunch in their beliefs, not expecting there to be another person in the vicinity, they’re understandably quite suspicious of each other. Isaac’s never met anyone from the cult people talk about in town, and Meredith can spot his sins from a mile off. They’re intrigued by each other though, and their united agreement on the end of the world helps them bond somewhat. The pair meet most days in the woodland – Meredith collecting tree sap as medicine for her sickly sister, Isaac taking readings from the trees to measure the pollution levels. As they get closer, they unexpectedly start to form a connection – but with the clock ticking down is it too late?

Eva Hudson’s narrative is an interesting one, the interesting character dynamics contributing to the strong foundation, and the impending sense of doom prevalent throughout helps to add a level of tension into each scene. The characters aren’t as rigid as you’d expect – Isaac arriving to the Utah woodlands in a petrol guzzling car doesn’t quite give his environmentalist stance much backing, neither does Meredith’s quick willingness to abandon the cult and partake in the unclean sinning (such as eating candy) she was initially so against. But it’s their fluidity that helps them appear more realistic and likeable, with both characters displaying an endearing level of vulnerability and trepidation.

As the first act comes to a close, the audience are hooked on the pairs slow burning relationship, but the momentum is quickly lost after the interval, and the second half unfortunately drags, with a lot of repetition and flimsy, old-fashioned dialogue. The final scenes aren’t as impactful as they could be, due to the loss in interest during the long second half. By tightening the script and keeping the pace, it would really help to keep the show gripping and enjoyable, but with the current length of 105 minutes, it just doesn’t quite work. Raphael and Hanly do a fantastic job of showing the progression and ultimately, the unravelling of their characters. They display the required ‘doomsday’ urgency with an intriguingly balanced erratic calmness which really helps to build suspense as the end of the world gets nearer. A good foundation, that could really succeed with a shorter runtime, to help the intensity of the narrative shine through.

Runs until 26^th February 2025