Writer & Director: Finn Lanchester
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Slick Set Design“
3.5 / 5
Drunk, after hours of being stuck handcuffed to a tree, and Simon is finally beginning to realise that the rest of his friends who agreed to do a climate protest with him, probably aren’t coming back.
Simon (Alex Westbrook) is determined to take a stand and commit to the cause he feels passionate about, but at the same time, a girl he’s been on & off with for a while is dirty talking him down the phone, and suddenly his willpower is waning. Enter Benoit (Victor Ciri), drunkenly stumbling home after a night out and highly amused by Simon’s solo stance. As an oil engineer, Simon’s protests are laughable to him, his outlook is to not care about the planet when it has a shelf life – better to live, enjoy and make the most of life while we can. Naturally, the pair clash completely, disagreeing on everything and struggling to find common ground. But when a harrowing emergency alert declares nuclear warfare, can they put their differences aside and mourn together in harmony, or will they spend their final moments debating to the bitter end?
Lanchester’s storyline is an intriguing one, packed with a variety of viewpoints, ideologies, political stances and theories. Westbrook and Ciri are both well cast in their roles – Ciri plays the rich, charming Frenchman with a callous yet charismatic approach, while Westbrook delivers the nerdy, angsty school teacher with a believable level of frustration at the world around him. There are points where the dialogue lasts a little too long, or the topics of conversation meander a little too much without finding a natural transition into the next topic of conversation. One example of this is the beginning phone scene that is initially funny, but becomes repetitive and wears thin after 5 minutes of it, but for the most part, the conversations spark various talking points and explore different ideas in an interesting and unique way. The slapstick-esque fights and Tom & Jerry style chase scenes are a bit lame, but there are still some humorous moments that emerge, mostly from the characters chalk & cheese dynamic.
Klára Rychtarčiková’s slick set design (built by Lorenzo Rangoni who also designed the tree) is immediately engaging – showcasing a dusky cityscape and the messy, abandoned site littered with empty beers and protest signs. It captures the atmosphere and messages of the show perfectly, focusing on both the bleak and the beautiful parts of life, the clashing natural vs industrial environments, and sadly the destruction humans have caused, sometimes even despite their best efforts.
Runs until 31st October 2026
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