Every now and then you stumble across a piece of theatre that shakes your preconceptions from the ground up; Earthquakes In London did just that. A last minute decision to attend meant I knew very little about what the piece contained, how it was conceived or what message they were trying to convey. Yet from the first moment, as the revolve brought a young couple on a date to the front of the stage, I was totally immersed in that world.
The non-linear narrative, jumping from the early Eighties, through modern day to a bleak future, followed the lives of a family, through three generations, each character so distinct yet inextricably linked with each other. Crossing theme’s such as the nuclear family, motherhood, global warming, and our need for hope, the plays message was clear, if not depressing; if we do not listen to what we are being told and fix all the problems facing our world, from mental health up to major issues of global warming, there will be nothing left for future generations.
The characters appeared to be based upon archetypes; a distant, absent father, a power-hungry elder sister, a rebellious attention seeking younger sister with a harassed and depressed pregnant woman in the middle. The representatives of the airline company we meet in the Eighties are typical money grabbing bad guys, full of double meanings and unrealistic promises, contrasting strongly with a young schoolchild, who’s corrupted by media, imagining himself to have all sorts of issues he’s read about, yet expresses the only real concern about his pregnant teacher.
The true beauty of Earthquakes could have been lost in all the spectacle of multiple revolves and pumping music, but its true nature at the core pushed through to make it a truly memorable piece; a must see, for anyone.
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