Eve Miller
Content Warning: Spoilers
Doesn’t commuting feel like the end of the world? Well in this production, it might be. Follow these six strangers (or are they?) as they find themselves trapped on a tube carriage under imminent danger of a nuclear strike, as they try to decide what really matters to them when the chips are down.
A young couple, a tarot-reading primary school teacher, a drifter musician, and a Tory MP (undersecretary to the Minister for Defense no less!) all end up trapped on the tube as announcements herald an impending nuclear strike. They are joined by the middle-aged jovial train driver (played with gusto by Liam Howie), and band together to look for a way out of the carriage, or to make their final moments more bearable.
The premise is promising, but problems arise at the climax of the play, when it is revealed that Lynn, the MP, is to blame for the whole mess as her government has hidden secret illegal nukes on the tube system, and it is one of these that are about to blow up. Even worse, very few people in the government know about these nukes, and so may mistakenly stage a counter-attack against an innocent foreign power, sparking off a global nuclear war.
The script wants us to take it seriously, but invests too much into the small moments of pathos (petty relationship drama, estranged family) and entirely fails to make the largest conflict – that they are all about to die and potentially cause another world war – feel important. If this plot was played for laughs then it may have been more effective, but the audience are expected to ignore the many plot holes, and root for Lynn’s character development by the final moments of the play when she decides to alert the country to her government’s role in the disaster and reach out to her estranged daughter – despite the fact that she is a war criminal.
The performances are generally lukewarm, lacking depth and emotionality, and it’s unclear if this is the fault of the actors or the director. The strongest performances are the most caricature-ish: Howie’s devoted aging train driver and Reuben Stickland’s finance bro rich kid. The strongest section of the play is when the group bands together to cheer up Howie’s character, giving him the chance to star in an 80s music video. Reminiscent of the dance scene in The Breakfast Club, this scene is genuinely heartwarming.
Charming, funny, and heartwarming, this production will have you questioning what would really matter to you at the end of the line.
Recommended Drink: A good long swig of tequila to prepare for the explosion (or to fuel your 80s karaoke session).
You can catch The End of the Line at Bedlam Theatre from 30th July to 10th August at 12:30 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Andrew Perry
Jake Mace
Lamesha Ruddock
Jasmine Silk
