The premise of End Of The Line sounds spurious – six strangers on a tube facing imminent death due to an impending nuclear threat. They have an hour left to live and can’t escape. What would you do?
The fact that it’s a student production could also detract from its immense potential and allow you to to miss out on one of Edinburgh Fringe’s most captivating, fresh and inspiring new plays, selling out its entire run in an increasingly evident wave of word-by-mouth urgency.
Alice Humphries’ prescient script, poignant dialogue and relevant pathos, swings between a devil-may-care hedonism and a desperate and incontrovertible fatalism
Because while End Of The Line is a thriller, Alice Humphries‘ prescient script, poignant dialogue and relevant pathos, swings between a devil-may-care hedonism and a desperate and incontrovertible fatalism. Nothing is sacred in this all-holds-barred, revelatory narrative that whips along at such a cracking pace.
She explores the conundrums of everyday life with a fierce, sage and shrewd appraisal, whatever your age, addressing matters of the heart, workplace dichotomies, while exploring class, expectations and self belief in equal measure.
Raphaella Hawkins, who plays Amy, is certainly one-to-watch
But what is most refreshing is End Of The Line’s insight into the realities and struggles of today’s young people – graduates exploring the reality of modern life, their illusions dispelled as they struggle to climb the corporate ladder, knuckle down and ‘make it’.
Raphaella Hawkins, who plays Amy, is certainly one-to-watch, finding herself stuck in a carriage with not only with her current beau, the upwardly mobile Myles (Reuben Stickland) – but also her more liberal guitar-playing ex Ben (Leo Odgers) – her dilemma perfectly reflecting the ethos of the play – should you follow your dreams or join the safety of the rat race. Do we even have a choice? And is it easier not to expect too much?
a brave, relevant and novel piece of writing – It moved us to tears
And while this is certainly not a new conundrum, Alice’s script is never lazy, the dialogue tripping along, the audience riveted.
Embellished by the colourful psychic and primary school teacher Clarissa (Nina Birbeck), train driver Darren (Liam Howie) and the self-centred Conservative MP Lynn (Ava Godfrey) – and the stage is set.
There were countless moments when you could’ve heard a pin drop, interspersed with sections of intense frivolity, humour and laughter
There were countless moments when you could’ve heard a pin drop, interspersed with sections of intense frivolity, humour and laughter, as this random collection of passengers bond through their unique and disconcerting shared experience, one minute staring into the abyss of their own demise, the next dressed in feather boas and discoing away to Don’t Stop Believing. Life here is definitely too short.
So how did such a life-affirming and refreshing piece of theatre come to fruition? Winning Bedlam Theatre’s Fringe funding enabled the ambitious group of students behind The End Of The Line to take full advantage of the huge fringe audiences, mainstream theatre setting and professional production aids.
Alice Humphries recruited Woodstock’s Olivia Davies (who is studying art at Edinburgh) to get the ball rolling, Olivia’s artistic bent creating a distinctive visual path, from the choreography and lighting to the stunning backdrop.
Deeply moving, fresh, immediate, innovative, emotive, crisp, funny and inspiring, we hope the title of the play isn’t prophetic because The End Of The Line deserves to be seen on a much wider stage
And as we plunged ever nearer to the group’s ultimate and certain demise, our fates inexplicably linked with the characters, as relationships, love, values and success is weighed up, caution thrown to the wind.
Deeply moving, fresh, immediate, innovative, emotive, crisp, funny and inspiring, we hope the title of the play isn’t prophetic because The End Of The Line deserves to be seen on a much wider stage, and celebrated as a brave, relevant and novel piece of writing. It moved us to tears. As exciting as it is original and the perfectt reminder of how important new, young voices are in the world of theatre.
