It's the end of the world and it's great

A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky - Simon Stephens, David Eldridge and Robert Holman
Directed by Sean Holmes
Lyric Hammersmith, London (15/05/2010)

The Lyric Hammersmith's latest production is a unique collaboration of three successful modern playwrights. The voices of Simon Stephens, David Eldridge and Robert Holman blend wonderfully to create a simple, stylish and raw new play that looks at the impact of the end of the world on an increasingly disparate family. Fusing moments of chilling discomfort with heart-wrenching warmth, this albeit slightly odd production presents a refreshing display of optimism that is rarely seen on the modern stage.

First of all, I've often found 'end-of-the-world' stories a little bit disappointing. They either portray absolute mass human hysteria, sometimes pacified by a sort of alien intervention, or handle it in a comic 'and then I woke up and it was all a dream' kind of way. Well, this time it really does happen. A cosmic strip has been identified by physicists who have confirmed that the earth will be destroyed in three weeks time. The idea is simple, slightly beyond comprehension but believable and gives the playwrights enough time to really explore the effects of such a disaster.

The scene is modern England and five brothers ranging from grandad to schoolboy face the reality of the end of the world. But, the physics is not important, nor is the effect on the globe. Rightly, the focus is on the family and the five brothers. Fortunately the five actors playing the roles gave perfect performances. Harry McEntire as the young Philip was one of the best - his cheeky and optimistic character added a certain warmth to the otherwise darkly disturbed family. Another young actor, Rupert Simonian, was equally bright and compelling as another brother's grandson.

A weak spot in the play came with the strange mix of flashback and time travel that Philip seemed to undergo at times. It was unclear whether he was psychic, dreaming or just plain loopy but the weird addition of historic adultery amongst the family ancestors was disorientating to say the least. The outbursts of anger from the mother of the family played by Ann Mitchell also felt awkward and out of character.

That said, overall the play dealt with the family in a poignant and moving manner. And instead of an explosive end, the final scene was a more suitable sedate affair that nevertheless hit just as hard. The bare stage and raw performances showed the writers doing what they do best - A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky is about the words and the people, not the show.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky'.

All's Fair in Love and Death

The Gathering - Anne Enright

Winner of the 2007 Man Booker Prize, The Gathering is the harrowing tale of a dysfunctional Irish family told by Veronica Hegarty. She is plunged back into her past and forced to face her diverse, drinking family upon the death of her dearest brother, Liam. A troubled young man, Liam walks into the sea at Brighton and never resurfaces. Shocked and somewhat bitter, Veronica invites us to explore her memories of and with her brother as she searches for the classic 'what went wrong?'

The novel itself has a cold tone throughout - unsurprisingly, as the whole thing is centred around Veronica arranging the funeral details and transport of her brother's body back to his birth town. However, this tone is undoubtedly the fault of Enright's narrator, who is seemingly devoid of positive emotion.

The author depicts the loss in an angry and bitter way as the narrator blames the incessant reproduction of her mother and father for the faults of her brother. Living within a huge family, Veronica obviously feels neglected by her parents and even by many of her brothers and sisters - she was forced to grow up, alongside Liam, with a grandmother of equally cold behaviour. It seems to be in the Hegarty genes that the women grow cold, staying with their partners through thick and thin for reasons that they might have forgotten.

Veronica herself, in reflecting upon her past, becomes more and more detached from her family - she feels competition and resentment towards one of her two daughters, and refuses to sleep with her husband, increasingly turning to drink for company. It is very uncomfortable to read about the lack of love one woman can feel for her family. Most people have faith that a mother's love can prevail over all other forms and yet here is Veronica almost hating her children.

Enright explores the family structure in a way I have never seen before. The Hegarty children are more like numbers than children and Veronica constantly tries to convince us that her mother doesn't even know her name. The bond between parent and child is significantly damaged in this book, which is slightly disturbing (but intriguing) to read.

Enright's attitude towards the family in The Gathering is equally reflected in her portrayal of sex. Intercourse is grotesque throughout and issues surrounding Liam's sexual life enhance this. Sex is not enjoyable for Veronica - it is a mechanical, almost disgusting act of human behaviour, undoubtedly a view resulting from her feelings towards her incredibly fertile parents.

Liam is the fall from grace. He is quite beautiful under Enright's description, with the extremely blue "Hegarty eyes". Girls throw themselves at him, but his childhood, marked by a damaged, loveless upbringing, fail this potentially bright star, as it seems to have done for all the Hegarty children. However, Liam is essentially a ghost in Veronica's story. We are never allowed insight into his real feelings or emotions, and his alcoholism and other underlying problems are the products of his sister's observations and suppositions.

Although more cold and bitter than any character I have ever come across, Veronica's thought processes resemble those of any other human, even if her thoughts are far from your own. The desire to retain the memory of someone you've loved and lost and, perhaps, to reason with why they couldn't have been saved, is a natural process when love and death tragically come together.

Enright's writing is clearly deserving of the Man Booker Prize, which I found a little surprising. I have read Booker shortlisters and winners before, only to find them abstract and unenjoyable. This was not the case with The Gathering. Yes, it is still a bit abstract, with little plot and a complicated array of hazy memories recounted by a narrator who sometimes tells the story the way she hoped it had happened. Nevertheless, The Gathering is beautiful, touching and very interesting - I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend it to anyone who wants to read about a fresh view on a broken family.

Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of 'The Gathering'.