#franticassembly

THE UNRETURNING Wed 16 Jan - Sat 02 Feb 2019

Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth present THE UNRETURNING written by Anna Jordan and directed by Neil Bettles.

I want to return to my home...

Can beginnings be made out of endings? In a British Northern Coastal town, three young men are coming home. In 1918 George returns from the Western Front. In 2013 Frankie is back from his final tour of Afghanistan. And some time in the not-too-distant future Nat returns from an overseas refugee camp to what was his hometown.

A compelling new play by Anna Jordan (Yen – Royal Court Theatre, Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2013), directed by Neil Bettles (Associate Director of Frantic Assembly) and featuring Frantic’s celebrated physicality, The Unreturning explores the profound effect that war has on young lives.

This production celebrates the 10th anniversary of Frantic Assembly’s Ignition training programme, of which Theatre Royal Stratford East has previously been a partner.

Wed 16 Jan - Sat 02 Feb 2019 Preview: Wed 16 Jan

Tickets from £10 Age guidance: 14+ (contains strong language)

In my eyes the pace of this show is imperative to its success; like most physical theatre...

In this case, i mean the pace of the language something that was executed with precision and dexterity. The company had such a strong connection with what they were attempting to communicate; that of a families growth through time, something every audience member could somewhat relate to. This is no simple task, as the audience could easily scrutinize the authenticity of the family yet each player and their purpose was effortlessly exchanged with the audience. Being built up from smaller scenes, monologues from each family member tied the piece together. They were honest and straight forward, rather than thick and draining they allowed the audience room to breath and manage their disbelief, sustaining and receiving direct address. This was something that was seamlessly set aside from the family arguments and exchanges that spanned a number of weeks possibly years. 

Things I Know To Be True pulled on the heart strings of most, bringing many audience members to tears as the show reached its climax through reminiscent family memories and exploring the notion of ‘home’ through the lense of a naturally dysfunctional family. Beautifully easy to watch, delivered with purpose and clarity, a show the left me feeling that life was brief, sudden and unexpected. 

Finishes October 1st 2hrs 20mins including interval