An earthquake, followed by a tsunami, devastates a small community in England when it damages a nuclear power plant, introducing dangerous levels of radioactivity into the surrounding area in the upcoming play The Children, presented April 6-23 at the New Vic Theater by Ensemble Theatre Company. The Children is a tightly woven narrative that focuses on environmental accountability from one generation to the next.
Two retired nuclear engineers, Hazel and Robin, live in a cottage just outside the exclusionary zone that surrounds the plant. They are visited by an old friend, another nuclear scientist named Rose, for mysterious reasons that become clear as the play unfolds. This drama, by Lucy Kirkwood, is both personal and universal, an intimate story of loyalty and friendship with major repercussions.
“It’s a constant unraveling of story: big story and personal story,” says director Jenny Sullivan. “It has all these twists and turns in terms of the drama, the comedy, and the overarching theme of the play.”