We’ll Dance on the Ash of the Apocalypse – Brighton Fringe

This one act play written and directed by Melissa-Kelly Franklin is a timely piece constructed around the environment and climate change.

It tells the story of a young couple played by Maite Jauregui and Danny Horn who are living through a climate apocalypse and their discovery that the woman is pregnant. They wonder if it’s right to bring their baby into this damaged world. There is an awful lot of soul searching to be had.

It’s not a bad play and it really does highlight important issues about our response to the environment but the play is also very earnest, sombre, miserable and at times quite self – conscious.

There is no denying Franklin’s passion but it just didn’t work for me.

Unfortunately the use of slow- no physical theatre to emphasis the change in the couple’s timeline seemed rather out of place and a little contrived.

Like I said, the overall message is important to all of us but unfortunately the script is a bit of a let-down and both actors really struggle to bring their rather flat and one note characters to life.

I just know that there’s a really good play struggling to get out of this but it did feel more of a work in progress.

We’ll Dance on the Ash of the Apocalypse is available online via https://www.brightonfringe.org/whats-on/well-dance-on-the-ash-of-the-apocalypse-150171/

Reviewer: Kiefer Williams

Reviewed: 30th May 2021

North West End UK Rating: ★★

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