The Children

An eco-thriller by Lucy Kirkwood

17th May – 28th June 2019

In a remote cottage on the lonely British coast, a long-married couple of retired nuclear engineers are living a very quiet life on yogurt and yoga and seem to have no neighbours. Understandably, since their cosy little corner of the world has seen earthquakes, tsunamis, and a nuclear meltdown at the nearby power plant where they once worked. When an old friend and a former colleague turns up at their door after an absence of almost 40 years, they‘re shocked to discover the real reason for her visit. The fallout will be cataclysmic. Baby-boomer guilt goes nuclear in this doomsday play about the catastrophic results of human meddling with nature.

Ein einsames Häuschen an der Küste: Robin und Hazel, seit langem scheinbar glücklich verheiratet, genießen ihren gemeinsamen Lebensabend bei Superfood und Yoga. Verständlicherweise einsam, hat ihr gemütliches Fleckchen Erde doch Erdbeben, Tsunamis und eine Kernschmelze im nahegelegenen Kernkraftwerk – in dem sie einst arbeiteten – überstanden. Der Besuch einer alten Freundin und Kollegin, die nach 40 Jahren überraschend auf deren Türschwelle erscheint, zerstört das Idyll – mit verheerenden Konsequenzen. Das apokalyptische Stück geht mit der Generation der Baby-Boomer und deren fahrlässigen Umgang mit der Natur hart ins Gericht.

An eco-thriller, bristling with chills and suspense and foreboding sound effects.
The New York Times

Interesting, arresting, and enigmatic. Huffington Post

Grips compulsively. The Guardian

A richly suggestive and beautifully written piece of work…. Kirkwood is the most rewarding dramatist of her generation. The Independent

Thought-provoking and haunting drama about legacies and how the past always catches up with the present. The Daily News

Trailer

Flickr

Pack your bags, people — the apocalypse is coming.

Retired people are like nuclear power stations. We like to live by the sea.