Whether theatre, film or television, many stories set in the future are fantastical or darkly dystopian, but Back to Terra Firma is a play that positions itself in a "speculative but familiar version of England."
It’s set in the future certainly, but not futuristic in style; playwright Tamsin Flower presents a world where today’s issues have divided the country even further, and two separate societies have to live with the decisions they’ve made and the consequences of compromise. However, while climate change, radicalisation, violence and health poverty provide the backdrop, the four-person story at the forefront is one of love and sacrifice.
Representing the countryside, Matt Coulton creates an immediately likeable James and offers a nuanced performance as he strives to balance responsibility for his community with his own emerging needs. Of all the characters, his is the most well-rounded, which provides a satisfying emotional arc. By contrast is medicine sales rep Olivia, who represents the high-performing but perhaps lonely city dwellers. Linn Johansson brings an intriguing iciness to the role that never quite melts, even as her demeanour around Jamie begins to soften. Theirs is a love story across checkpoints, ideologies and circumstances that make them examine their roots.
Firmly grounded in practical matters is James’s big sister Sarah, and Barbara D’Alterio is a reassuring but commanding presence, a link to his past but also a commentator on possible futures. And finally, the boy who fell from the sky, a wiry and watchful Cameron Tindall, brings great physicality to the part of The Boy, every twitch of the head and flicker of gaze drawing the audience further into his mystery, the almost entirely silent relationship between The Boy and James the most tender in the whole piece.
Jude Fullwood and Joy Chen’s arrangement of crates filled with carefully chosen props is an elegant solution to the small playing space and sets a welcoming tone to James’s environment. They are spun to become Olivia’s flat, the choice of dull grey an obvious allusion to the hard, metallic nature of the city. The inclusion of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons during scene changes also drives home the connection with nature, although rather labours the point.
It is in this sense that one of the play's greatest strengths is also its biggest issue. The even pace and straightforward storytelling make it accessible, the underlying themes not engulfing a timeless story of connection, however it lacks dynamism and, despite a couple of moments of tension, feels restrained. It’s a clear decision not to pull on any of the larger threads and predominantly focus on the love story, but this limits the emotional connection of the audience to the leads as there is a suggestion of world-weary acceptance rather than stakes being raised.
Back To Terra Firma is a very thoughtful piece, but the desire to represent a microcosm in one act means that, although many topics are tantalisingly touched on, it doesn’t deliver a highly charged romance or shocking glimpse into the future, but rather a tentative relationship at the beginning of something new. Realistic rather than futuristic is the name of the game.