Arts

How To Survive An Apocalypse Review

ONIN attended the European premiere of ‘How to Survive An Apocalypse’ at the Finborough Theatre.

This romantic comedy is set in the 21st century. A young couple are facing difficulties in their marriage- Jen’s trying to save her magazine while Tim is unemployed and spending everyday in his underwear. Jen is influenced by consultant Bruce to become a ‘prepper’- the practice of preparing for the imminent apocalyptic destruction of society- and Jen and Tim are forced to confront the idea of whom they would wish to spend the End of Days with. Meanwhile Jen’s best friend Abby, has just come out of a relationship in which she was a trophy wife. While a nod to survivalism and modern dependence on technology, this four person play is essentially a dinner-drama about love, relationships and friendships.

Written by award-winning playwright Jordan Hall, the one-liners, witty remarks and fast-paced dialogue keeps the pace moving. The humour and insults helped to make the characters relatable and had us chuckling along. Unfortunately, the play never delves deep enough into survivalism which could have added a more unique spin to the play.

Starring Kristen Atherton as Jen, Christine Gomes as Abby, Ben Lamb as Bruce and Noel Sullivan as Tim, the four actors work well together. The strongest actor is Sullivan, whose down-on-his-luck, kind and funny Tim was very relatable; while Atherton provides a strong turn as the increasingly infuriating Jen. Lamb is great as the slick alpha-male Bruce, while Gomes does well with the comic timing.

The nature of Finsborough theatre (two rows of seats either side with the performance space in the middle) means we as the audience get really close to the on-stage action, particularly in the fight scene towards the end. Directed by Jimmy Walters, the actors make good use of the limited space, movements feel real (for example Bruce downing large glasses of wine at a disastrous dinner) and height is particularly used to convey emotions. The set- designed by Ceci Claf-  is a basic minimalist set with a table, chairs and blocks with cushions that goes from a lounge chair, to a bar to a tent. The key feature was a curved wooden canopy transporting from urban Canada to woodlands. Lighting design by Adam King and sound design by Julian Starr help convey the atmosphere of growing tension among the four characters.

How to Survive An Apocalypse is presented by Proud Haddock in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre.

How to Survive An Apocalypse runs until 23rd October 2021. It performs at Finborough Theatre Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7:30pm, and matinees at 3pm Saturday and Sunday.  Ticket prices are £25 or £23 for concession. Run time is 2 hours and 15minutes including a 15minute interval.

Address: 118 Finborough rod, London, SW10 9ED. 

Website: https://finboroughtheatre.co.uk/production/how-to-survive-an-apocalypse/

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Written by Caitlin Neal