Letter to the End of the World @ Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh
Letter to the End of the World is an open, collective, jumbled and overwhelming piece from Criticism Inc and Annexe Repertory Theatre
If you were to write a letter to the end of the world, what would you say? What would define your world? What would the end of that world be and what would it mean? These are just a few of the questions posed by Criticism Inc (in association with the Annexe Repertory Theatre) in Letter to the End of the World, their work in progress as part of the Formation Festival at Assembly Roxy.
A letter to the end of the world? It’s exactly what it says on the tin. Criticism Inc invited their online community to write a letter exploring what they would say to the end of the world, whatever that may be. The result is an open, collective and interpretational piece with many different voices that want to be heard. In saying that, it’s no wonder that there's no clarity; the text is very jumbled, full of swirling thoughts and struggles to articulate itself.
Letter to the End of the World is very aware of its own theatricality, with narrators providing vocal stage directions or hints at what is a few seconds into the future, all the while mocking its own conventions. The audience feels on par with these figures on stage, almost sharing that feeling of interrogation, as we all try to figure out what is going on – that’s what’s engaging, the desire to explain the unknown.
The Annexe Rep – which focuses on performers aged 11-25 – showcase their actors who deliver strong, emotional work, even in the confusing world they’ve devised. There are some beautiful physical moments, especially the embryonic images, but it does all feel a little overwhelming with text and music as well.
At some point we overhear a snippet of a conversation, “So, do you think this’ll be the last Formation Festival?” As a reply, we will say this – we need to continue to support platforms, such as this festival, so that new work and emerging performers can be given a chance and these voices can continue to figure themselves out to anyone who’s willing to watch.
Letter to the End of the World @ Assembly Roxy, run ended