Death of England: Closing Time – @sohoplace, London

Writers: Clint Dyer and Roy Williams

Director: Clint Dyer

A decade in the making, Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’ Death of England trilogy is now available back-to-back, in a West End venue nonetheless. The third installment; Death of England: Closing Time joins its predecessors on the @sohoplace stage a month after their respective openings. The decision to give this final chapter a shorter run is criminal, given the strength of Sharon Duncan-Brewster and Erin Doherty’s performance. Nevertheless, the duo is proving that last is certainly not the least.

Death of England: Closing Time can be viewed either in sequence or independently of its companion plays: the experience is no less impressive. Denise (Duncan-Brewster) and daughter-in-law Carly (Doherty) wait together to hand over the keys to the family shop. Initial tensions are sky-high as the pair bickers over how to narrate the downfall of their respective business dreams, each determined to throw the other under the bus.

For viewers, it may feel clear who bears the bigger weight of responsibility, but the unexpected journey is where the true magic of this production resides. As Dyer and Williams’ script aptly concludes – ‘it was never about blame’.

Death of England: Closing Time is about identity, relationships, history and growth, to name just a few things; and, true to life, not one of them is presented as a simple conversation. This is one of the greatest strengths of the writing, that it explores such complexity through a very real, very messy lens. Neither Denise nor Carly represent a single, simple political or philosophical ideal; they are emotional, contradictory and informed by a rich wealth of experiences.

Both Duncan-Brewster and Doherty shine in their opposite roles, layering their unlikely alliance with thick tension and endearing chemistry which can flip in an instant. The performers play with the audience as much as each other, supported by an intelligent self-aware script, and their witty asides are the source of much humour throughout. Duncan-Brewster, in particular, takes home the gold for a show-stopping audience clapback.

Returning to the role of Denise, this time with substantially more rehearsal, Duncan-Brewster is outstanding. She demonstrates admirable strength, gut-wrenching vulnerability and powerful humanity throughout. Denise often feels like the voice of reason, yet is imperfectly human too, and Duncan-Brewster carries this mantle with incredible nuance and skill.

Doherty does a gorgeous job of softening Carly, an impulsive and defensive character who could easily lean towards a stock example of ‘getting it wrong’. Bringing so much heart and a genuine sense of ‘trying’ to Carly’s well-intentioned yet naive perspective of events, Doherty manages to captivate, endear and unnerve the audience in quick succession.

Production designers Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and ULTZ make a bold choice to stage all three Death of England productions on top of the St George Cross. It feels radical and uncomfortable to witness stories examining the fractured state of modern Britain, played out against such a traditional, patriotic image. As a functional choice, the structure works perfectly for this duologue, allowing the performers to divide the stage and claim their territories. Jackie Shemesh’s lighting design assists with these divisions, as well as facilitating changes in time, place and character. An inspired sequence in the latter half of the production does an intimidatingly good job of capturing the frenzy of going viral.

Death of England: Closing Time takes its audience on an incredibly intricate and moving journey within a single act. Evoking riotous laughter, pleasant surprise, shocking disappointment and aching sadness, this production is an emotional workout and a theatrical masterpiece.

Runs until 28 September 2024