Foreverland
What would society be like if the rich could pay for treatment to extend their lives forever?
A new play by Emma Hemingford explores this question in a near futuristic world where people can replenish their body cells with regular treatment, causing a divide in humanity as people either become a “lifer” or “fixer”.
Those who can “fix” can end up living forever aside from any accidents… if you knew dying naturally was impossible… how would you change your life? Would you live on the edge or live behind closed doors for safety?
Directed by Frederick Wienand, there were a couple of slower moments that dulled the pace; however, the majority of the show is well directed with moments of comedy mixed in with very difficult conversations on life. Using the whole of the space in Southwark Playhouse’s The Little was impressive and filled the space well. The pacing of lines let the audience linger with key dramatic moments which let everyone enjoy the wonderful writing of Hemingford.
Hemingford drives each scene with a clear goal and motivation making for some memorable and thought provoking moments that stick with you. The writing is poetic and poignant. While some scenes I felt were a little too long or perhaps could have been more powerful with less lines, this didn't detract from the overall show and definitely shouldn't put anyone off from exploring this production.
Foreverland tackles conversations on class as only the rich can be granted the treatment to live forever, Hemingford’s play tackles these sensitively with a diverse cast and great multi roling to have characters reappear as the descendant of their previous role. Questions that ring true today come to life as a key question of “if you can, should you” lingers.
Emma McDonald delivers an incredible performance with staggering emotional depth to her role. From the moment McDonald is on stage, audience’s eyes are drawn to watch her every move as she devotes herself to the role.
As the doctor, Valerie Antwi wears authority well and commands scenes with a strict professionalism and care. Particularly for Christopher York who handles his character’s difficulties well, it is easy to overact or become superfluous with a role like Jay, however York created a character that was not only believable but sympathetic.
Other characters unfortunately felt underutilised and as the play went on a lot more could have been explored and it would have been great to have more time to see what new challenges come up as time goes on. However, the focus on the main characters and their choice to “fix” worked well and kept the tone of the play consistent.
The play also included plenty of moments of music and dance which were placed beautifully to assist character development or provide a moment of breathing after a difficult scene. While the choreography was organic and basic it worked well to bring some realism to the show and keep the sci-fi concept grounded.
Overall Foreverland is a genuine must see play that’s forcefully contemplative. It will leave you thinking about what's important in life. Take your loved ones.
This show was reviewed on the 4th October 2024 at the Southwark Playhouse Borough, London where the show runs until the 19th October 2024. Tickets available here: Foreverland - Southwark Playhouse
Review written by Ryan Lenney
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Photo credit: Charlie Lyne
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