Set in a humble family home in Newbury, the end of history... offers a look into the life of a family over the space of two decades. Parents Sal and David are quiet revolutionaries of a sort, having spent their youth campaigning for women's rights, dabbling in communism, and trying to create a better world for their children to live in. Their children, Carl, Polly and Tom (all named after revolutionaries) have been brought up to consider situations "ethically, politically, pragmatically and personally".
The play illustrates the effects of growing up in a household where you are expected to become the next big creative mind, the movers and shakers of tomorrow's world. The ideologies of the parents affect all areas of the children's life and seems to be the main cause of disharmony, tension and drama. Sal and David's mission to make the world a fairer place by redistributing wealth results in them deciding not to leave any of their money to their children, unless that is they decide to pursue something that David perceives to be as creative. This understandably causes huge ructions in the family and leads to explosive arguments that have you on the edge of your seat.
The play's political backdrop is extensive - the first scene taking place in the winter of 1997 (when Tony Blair was Prime Minister), and the third in the spring of 2017 with Brexit casting an impenetrable shadow over lives across the UK. Whilst politics was clearly important to the family life, even making its way into the discussion at the 'welcoming-the-new-girlfriend-into-the-family' dinner, where David forcefully compels everyone to guess the level of reoffending in Britain, the large and looming political points of conversation of the times- Blair and Brexit - managed to get away with only brief discussion. As such, the play was more about a politically minded, intellectual and fierce family and the dynamics within that unit, as opposed to being obtusely Brexit focussed, which I personally liked.
The play comes from the award winning duo of playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany who were behind the hugely successful Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I have to say that it was a masterclass in theatre-making. The play text was sharp, punchy and witty, and Thorne masterfully captured the intense environment of the family home. Twisting between uproarious humour, nail-biting tension and a final heart-breaking scene, the play was constantly engaging and interesting and always unpredictable. The set design by Grace Smart was marvellous, featuring the kitchen whose walls were completely stripped back in places, making me feel as though I was peering into their life, as well as Sal's beautiful walled garden outside. The sound design and the music by Imogen Heap also added a whole extra dimension to the piece, as did movement director Steven Hoggett's cleverly crafted movement sequences which punctuated the play to illustrate the time changes. With all these superb elements, you would expect the play to be a knock-out, but there was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
The cast was excellent, as always seems to be the case in the shows I have seen at the Royal Court, and so hats off to casting director Amy Ball. Lesley Sharp as Sal was brilliant, perfectly illustrating the character's many facets. David Morrissey as David created a character firmly resolute on creating a fairer world and doing whatever it takes to achieve that, but at the same time insecure about his ability as a father. His monologue at the end was particularly moving. Zoe Boyle as Harriet - the posh upper-class girlfriend - was hilarious, Kate O'Flynn was perfect as the intellectual and witty Polly, Laurie Davidson gave a beautifully subtle and intricate performance as the troubled Tom, and Sam Swainsbury as Carl was excellent. Really, the performances were faultless and made for wonderful theatre.
Although admittedly it does seem to have a missing piece, the end of history... is an excellent play which is captivating and takes you on a beautiful journey. I would definitely recommend it.
The play illustrates the effects of growing up in a household where you are expected to become the next big creative mind, the movers and shakers of tomorrow's world. The ideologies of the parents affect all areas of the children's life and seems to be the main cause of disharmony, tension and drama. Sal and David's mission to make the world a fairer place by redistributing wealth results in them deciding not to leave any of their money to their children, unless that is they decide to pursue something that David perceives to be as creative. This understandably causes huge ructions in the family and leads to explosive arguments that have you on the edge of your seat.
The play's political backdrop is extensive - the first scene taking place in the winter of 1997 (when Tony Blair was Prime Minister), and the third in the spring of 2017 with Brexit casting an impenetrable shadow over lives across the UK. Whilst politics was clearly important to the family life, even making its way into the discussion at the 'welcoming-the-new-girlfriend-into-the-family' dinner, where David forcefully compels everyone to guess the level of reoffending in Britain, the large and looming political points of conversation of the times- Blair and Brexit - managed to get away with only brief discussion. As such, the play was more about a politically minded, intellectual and fierce family and the dynamics within that unit, as opposed to being obtusely Brexit focussed, which I personally liked.
The play comes from the award winning duo of playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany who were behind the hugely successful Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I have to say that it was a masterclass in theatre-making. The play text was sharp, punchy and witty, and Thorne masterfully captured the intense environment of the family home. Twisting between uproarious humour, nail-biting tension and a final heart-breaking scene, the play was constantly engaging and interesting and always unpredictable. The set design by Grace Smart was marvellous, featuring the kitchen whose walls were completely stripped back in places, making me feel as though I was peering into their life, as well as Sal's beautiful walled garden outside. The sound design and the music by Imogen Heap also added a whole extra dimension to the piece, as did movement director Steven Hoggett's cleverly crafted movement sequences which punctuated the play to illustrate the time changes. With all these superb elements, you would expect the play to be a knock-out, but there was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
The cast was excellent, as always seems to be the case in the shows I have seen at the Royal Court, and so hats off to casting director Amy Ball. Lesley Sharp as Sal was brilliant, perfectly illustrating the character's many facets. David Morrissey as David created a character firmly resolute on creating a fairer world and doing whatever it takes to achieve that, but at the same time insecure about his ability as a father. His monologue at the end was particularly moving. Zoe Boyle as Harriet - the posh upper-class girlfriend - was hilarious, Kate O'Flynn was perfect as the intellectual and witty Polly, Laurie Davidson gave a beautifully subtle and intricate performance as the troubled Tom, and Sam Swainsbury as Carl was excellent. Really, the performances were faultless and made for wonderful theatre.
Although admittedly it does seem to have a missing piece, the end of history... is an excellent play which is captivating and takes you on a beautiful journey. I would definitely recommend it.