Brisbane review - The Children: thought provoking contemporary play

By David Wilson

The Children

Written by Lucy Kirkwood

Directed by Heidi Gledhill

Produced by A Moveable Theatre and Amanda McErlean

Set/Costume/Video design by Helena Trupp

Lighting by Noah Milne

Music and Sound by Tommi Civili

Presented in conjunction with PIP Theatre https://piptheatre.org/the-children/

At PIP Theatre Milton until 21 June 2025

Tickets from $25 https://piptheatre.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/142240

Queensland Premiere of The Children by Olivier Award winning author Lucy Kirkwood is brilliantly done. The haunting and thought provoking contemporary play is powerfully brought to life by a very experienced and deservedly confident team of cast and creatives in a production that leans heavily into dark comedy with both hilarious and meaningful consequences.

Inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear explosion and tsunami in Japan, The Children premiered in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 2016 and on Broadway in 2018, receiving two Tony Award nominations. In 2019, writers for The Guardian placed The Children third on the list of the greatest works since 2000.

Hazel and Rob are two retired nuclear physicists who live in a remote cottage on the coast, just outside the exclusion zone. The world outside is dealing with the fallout from a major disaster at the nearby nuclear power station. They are visited by Rose, a friend and fellow nuclear physicist with a hidden agenda.

Over 90 minutes without intermission, in a measured and deliberate fashion, the complicated past between the three and their involvement in the power station is revealed. Ultimately, a heavy focus on the past gives way to concerns for the future, with the audience pondering the question - when do we take responsibility for the world that we leave the children?  

The creative team has done a magnificent job of bringing this excellent work to life. The strong direction by Heidi Gledhill was apparent from the outset. The simple, singular kitchen setting made the most of this wonderfully intimate performance area, with subtle lighting and audio visual effects adding to the slightly eerie, post-disaster feel, providing the perfect platform for the performers to showcase their considerable talents.

Part of the magic of this three-hander is that there develops an equal tension between all three characters throughout, and each of the three performers deliver absolutely outstanding performances.

Julia Johnson is absolutely magnificent as Hazel, in many ways the tip of the three character triangle. Johnson wonderfully captures the determined, measured, structured, practical mother of four with a strong and confident exterior, while ensuring the characters fragile interior is never far from the surface. Johnson’s wonderfully mature and layered performance was perfectly on point, and is reason enough to see the show.

Amanda McErlean gives a powerhouse performance as the childless Rose, a character who is in many ways the opposite of Hazel, one which embraces the chaos, uncertainty and carefree unpredictability of life. In a fast paced, dialogue heavy play, McErlean’s sense of timing was powerful, as was her ability to move from measured delivery to total abandon. McErlean had total control over the audiences sympathies as they shifted throughout. Wonderful.

Terry Hansen is simply brilliant as Rob. Hansen delivers a knockout performance that perfectly builds the responsible, caring and accommodating, knockabout larrikin husband to Hazel and father to their four kids, and then slowly reveals that all is not what it seems. His nuanced delivery was outstanding - perfect for this complex role balancing the comedic timing and delivery of a stand-up with beautiful, thoughtful, tender moments. Outstanding.

It is wonderful that the creatives and PIP Theatre have brought such socially relevant, quality work to the stage in Brisbane. If the highly engaged and appreciative opening night audience is anything to go by, this will be a very successful run.

I encourage you to see this very high quality production of a mature, meaningful, very funny and thought-provoking play.