Review: A SLOW FIRE, Jermyn Street Theatre

Photo credit: Alex Brenner

A Slow Fire is an ambitious exploration of what happens to humanity when there is seemingly nothing left to hold on to. Set in a bunker after an unspecified apocalypse, Ashton (Ross Gaynor) and Reece (Ian Toner) spend their days recreating memories from their past and trying to make sense of a world that no longer exists.

Andrew Clancy’s set design and Migle Ryan’s costumes serve the play well, creating an atmosphere that feels suitably bleak and fatigued. But whilst the design gives us a sense of the world these characters inhabit, it doesn’t quite do enough to sustain the imagination. We are given very little context about what has happened in the past or how they ended up here, leaving us without enough information to fully process what is happening in front of us.

The role-playing between Ashton and Reece is initially charming. Watching them recreate moments from their past gives us a little insight into the lives they had before the world fell apart. But as the play progresses, the device becomes increasingly tedious. There are interesting ideas underneath it all about memory, identity and the stories we tell ourselves, but the play sometimes feels so caught up in its own philosophy that it forgets to ground those ideas in the humanity of its characters.

The second act picks up in pace and plot with Presley’s (Fionn Ó Loingsigh) arrival. His presence disrupts the strange equilibrium Ashton and Reece have created and brings a welcome shift in energy. The performances remain strong and there are sparks of humour, but even these moments struggle to lift a play that becomes increasingly depressing as it hurtles towards the finish line.

There is no shortage of ambition here. A Slow Fire raises important questions about climate change, war, survival and what humanity might look like when the structures we rely on disappear. These are conversations worth having, particularly in the world we find ourselves living in now. But for a play with so much to say, it doesn't always give us enough reason to feel.

A Slow Fire has plenty of interesting ideas and is certainly a good starting point for conversations about the future of our planet. But it doesn't quite do enough to make those ideas memorable or the journey particularly watchable.

** Two stars

Reviewed by: A.M.H.

A Slow Fire plays at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre until 26 September, with further info here.