Death of England : Closing Time
The final instalment of the Death of England plays from Clint Dyer and Roy Williams rounds off the stories well while also holding its own as a play.
This season of plays being shown @sohoplace this summer does well to sum up the world we live in, giving us insights into different cultures and family dynamics. ‘Michael’ and ‘Delroy’ are both plays full of electric energy, ‘Closing Time’ as the final piece to the puzzle feels less impactful than it’s predecessors but is enjoyable none the less.
Erin Doherty and Sharon Duncan-Brewster take on the roles of Carly and Denise respectively. Both are huge talents, neither of which are used to the best of their abilities here. There is less opportunity for moving moments in the writing, instead it’s a lot of loud conversations and shouting at each other which feels unnecessary at times.
Having seen the first two plays, I have a knowledge of these characters through the eyes of their family, so it is interesting to see them brought to life. The story does feel forced at times, it feels unbelievable that they would go into business together as even though they are family (Carly is Denise’s daughter-in-law) Carly comes from a family where racism runs rife and she has at times been known to say racist things to fit in rather than face the judgement of her father. The fact the shop they run together is closing comes as no surprise given the difference of their business lines and clear frictions between them, but the closing is maybe sped up by Carly’s actions – exact details won’t be given here but she learns a lesson about online conduct and that once something is out in the world, it cannot be taken back.
Erin Doherty is full of mischievous energy as Carly, she’s got bundles of attitude and is a loudmouth, which as we learn, has got her into trouble on more than one occasion. Erin does well with the emotional side of Carly, taking us from buzzing high energy to emotional and scared in the blink of an eye. Sharon Duncan-Brewster is wonderful to watch as Denise, she’s stubborn, proud and full of love for her family. She struggles to understand her daughter-in-law but tries her hardest. Sharon does incredibly well in this role, walking the fine line between passion and anger throughout. She has some powerful speeches which resonate with the audience perfectly.
The design of all 3 shows is the same red cross, this time being used to show the different areas of the shop in which the story takes place. It means each character is confined to their area, rarely crossing the boundary to the others territory. This creates and interesting dynamic throughout.
This is a raw and rough ending to the overall collection of plays and sums up the stories well. It stands up on its own and makes for an interesting few hours at the theatre.
This show was reviewed on the 31st August 2024 at @sohoplace, London where it runs until the 28th September 2024. Tickets available here: Death of England: The Plays | Tickets | @sohoplace
Review written by Rosie Browne
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Photo credit: Helen Murray
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