After the End @ Dundee Rep

After Sweeney Todd, a musical of operatic complexity, and a taut update of the classic Dolls House, Emma Faulkner directs the company in a terse two hander that juggles social and personal terror.

"After the End stands out not just as being an intense psychological thriller," Faulkner begins."But it’s also rather noticeable as a rare site-specific production and certainly the first time that we’ve done a show in a warehouse at the back of the theatre!"

Dealing with the aftermath of what appears to be an act of kindness, the play pits a man and woman, in isolation, battling each other and the apparent end of civilisation. It seems to recall paranoias of the Cold War: mass destruction, isolation and deceit with a sharp contemporary resonance.

"We still live in an equally uncertain world in which there is an ever-present threat from international terrorism, unstable political regimes with nuclear potential or natural disasters," she continues. "The play also taps into universal themes such as fear, isolation and loneliness, and looks at the ways in which they can manifest. After the End is a razor sharp, brilliantly written and thought provoking play at any time but given recent events including Japan, it feels particularly relevant."

Through its echoes of both past anxiety and present horror, After The End is a rare example of taut, claustrophobic theatre, showcasing the versatility of the Rep's company and how performance can capture the personal impact of massive human disasters. [Gareth K Vile]