Death of England: Closing Time is playing at @Soho Place until the 28th of September and concludes a masterful and meaningful trilogy from the stellar minds of writer Roy Williams and writer/director Clint Dyer. Laying bare their lived experience via the voices of their four meticulously crafted and sadly relatable characters: Michael, Delroy, Denise, and Carly.
Settling in for part III of the trilogy and as the saying goes – here come the girls! Following two blistering monologues from the two boys, Death of England: Closing Time marks the final chapter of Williams and Dyer’s bold, cutting examination of British society in 2024. While this instalment might not have the high stakes of Delroy or the raw emotional epiphanies of Michael, providing us with a more feminine touch, Closing Time finds its own, important voice through the lens of the most significant characters featured in the previous pieces; Denise and Carly.
Having seen her caricatured by both Michael and Delroy in the prior productions, we finally meet Carly, a real firecracker with a big mouth and a fierce desire to distance herself from the perception that she may harbour any of her father’s racist notions. Played by the excellent Erin Doherty, she attacks her monologues with skill and relish, seamlessly transforming in body and voice in her roles as daughter, girlfriend, and various other colourful characters that flesh out the play. Including one hilarious recounting of a famous 00s dance film, which brought a spontaneous round of applause.
Her dynamic performance fills in the gaps of the story told in Death of England parts I and II, guiding us through her complex life with a vibrancy that is both engaging and intense. Then there is Denise, again played beautifully and honestly by Sharon Duncan-Brewster as a world-weary yet resilient figure, a mother and grandmother who refuses to stay silent about the challenges of the Black experience in modern-day Britain. Denise’s role in the narrative is a powerful reminder that, although the fight against racism has made progress, prejudice has only grown more insidious and institutional, hiding behind a veneer of policy, politeness, and pretend offence rather than being confronted head-on.
Experiencing this trilogy has been a profound journey, one that feels deeply important. Closing Time moves at a slower pace than the frenetic energy of parts I and II, but it is no less absorbing. Where Michael and Delroy presented two young men wrestling with their emotions and learning to reflect and articulate their thoughts, Closing Time offers us two characters who are already adept at this and, as a result, we delve into deeper philosophical discussions about interracial relationships, the masks we wear in different social circles, and the things we say, or don’t say, depending on who is in the room.
At its core, Closing Time is about two women learning to understand each other’s boundaries and striving to be the best versions of themselves in a world that is set up to make their life more difficult.
Death of England: Closing Time is a thoughtful, resonant piece that brings this powerful trilogy to a close with grace and depth, proving once again the enduring relevance of its themes.
