Dundee Rep is presenting the Scottish Premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s award-winning play, The Children. This is the first play of the Rep’s spring season and will be performed by Dundee Rep Ensemble members Barrie Hunter, Irene Macdougall and Emily Winter.
The Children tells the story of Hazel and Robin, two retired nuclear scientists in an isolated cottage by the sea, with the world around them crumbling. Life within their home is relatively normal, aside from Geiger counters kept to hand in response to a recent disaster at the local power station. Together they are going to live forever on yogurt and yoga until Rose, an old friend arrives with a frightening request…
An intimate, three-hander drama, The Children is as dark as it is funny, leaving audiences with some of the most profound questions we all have to ask ourselves; and given a new meaning in our world bruised by the global pandemic and climate emergency: but it’s not only an environmental crisis, it’s also an existential one.
Hailed as one of the top 3 in The Guardian’s recent summary “Best Theatre shows of the 21st Century”, The Children premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2016 then transferred to Broadway where it was nominated for Best Play at both the Tony Awards and the Outer Critics Circle and now receives its Scottish Premiere at Dundee Rep. Lucy Kirkwood’s previous plays also include Chimerica – winner of the Olivier Award for Best Play, the Evening Standard Award, the Critics’ Circle Best New Play Award.
Dundee Rep’s Artistic Director and Director of The Children Andrew Panton said: “I’ve wanted to produce THE CHILDREN as part of our Ensemble season for some time, and I’m delighted we’re bringing the Scottish premiere to the Rep stage this spring. The play deals with themes that are particularly resonant in the current climate and have only been made more pertinent by the global pandemic. How do we ensure that we leave a world we would want for our children and their children, and what are our personal responsibilities to ensure that? The play manages to deal with these questions with depth, humour and a good number of plot twists along the way to keep the audience engrossed in the fate of these three beautifully crafted characters.”
