Foreverland

Emma Hemingford
Southwark Playhouse
Southwark Playhouse Borough

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Emma McDonald and Christopher York Credit: Charlie Lyne
Emma McDonald and Christopher York Credit: Charlie Lyne
Emma McDonald and Christopher York Credit: Charlie Lyne

How many of us have thought about what it might be like to live forever? Endless nights out on the town, being there to see our families grow up and, most exciting of all, never growing old.

Playwright Emma Hemingford’s new drama Foreverland explores this concept within the confines of a small family set in the new future. There’s tension from the outset, and this sets the scene for much of the play, where there is a very strong sense that this family is full of flaws and not quite the sort of people who should be allowed to ‘live forever’. But, they have money—and that means they can afford to pay for the treatment unlike so many others, thus creating a very divided society of fixers and lifers.

The play introduces this fascinating idea that defying nature by simply slipping a few pills is a choice only for the rich, but it fails to dig any deeper into this aspect of the play. This was perhaps a missed opportunity, given the attempt to approach the subject later in the play.

We meet Jay (Christopher York) and Alice (Emma McDonald) as they embark on this pioneering treatment which is available to those who want to live forever. Jay is more excited than Alice, but together they get the go-ahead to start taking the wonder drugs needed. McDonald and York are both brilliant as they whizz through the couple's life filled with the normal ups and downs, good days and bad ones just like any ordinary modern couple. But director Frederick Wienand uses an ingenious treatment to guide the audience through time and brilliantly introduces short, snappy pauses to highlight a certain emotion, moment of tension or significance in their journey. The pace helps keep what could have been a very heavy, nerdy play grounded and enjoyable.

Thankfully, there is little medical jargon, despite a lot of the play being spent at the medical centre in the presence of Dr Lane (Valeria Antwi). Her witty, snotty comments and eye-raising facial expressions provide moments of much needed laughter and lightness. There’s little other light and shade, so her presence is at times not entirely clear but welcomed.

Like most families, not everyone agrees and, as their daughter Annie grows up, we really begin to see the cracks in this damaged trio and also what ‘living forever’ really means. Annie is played by three actors, with youngster Emily Butler making her acting debut to great delight as little Annie, who is naïve, intelligent, spoilt and bloody minded. Her stubbornness serves her well when Una Byrne steps into Annie's shoes as an adult. Butler is feisty and confident as she commands the stage.

What is lovely about Foreverland, is how believable and real each of the characters is, with all the humans flaws and insecurities out on display for all to see.

Foreverland is not just about time, how we spend, waste and squander it, but also about family dynamics, love and the choices we make in life. Your time at the Southwark Playhouse Borough wont be wasted by seeing Foreverland, which is an intelligent and thought-provoking play about something that might just be around the corner. The choices and options open to Alice, Jay and Annie may be something our children or grandchildren will have to grapple with in the future.

This play perfectly highlights that quantity is not necessary that answer to having a quality filled life and that choices on how we use the tiny bit of time we naturally have here is perhaps the most important thing we should all be focusing on.

Reviewer: Thomas Magill

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