Review: Together in the End, Rosemary Branch Theatre

If the world was ending tonight, what would you do? Panic? Confess your love? Reminisce about your happiest moments? In Together in the End, Adam and Lily do all three. But not before arguing about The Sopranos, Hinge prompts, therapy and porridge. Which, by the way, people should absolutely go mad for… 

Adam and Lily are a couple whose idyllic getaway is suddenly upended by what appears to be a nuclear attack. As they contend with the realisation that this may be their few final hours on Earth, they’re faced with an impossible decision: do they attempt to return to the people they’ve left behind, or stay with the person standing right in front of them? Adam is desperate to go home to Ireland and find his family, whilst Lily believes the safest option is to remain in the cottage together. Despite the heavy – quite literally apocalyptic – premise, Together in the End is refreshingly easy to watch. It’s funny, tender and surprisingly propulsive. An excellent achievement given the play unfolds in what is, essentially, one long conversation between two characters in a single location. 

Much of this success comes down to the actors at the play’s centre, fantastically directed by Kay Dent. Juliette Smith is a totally captivating Lily, immediately winning the audience over with her vivaciousness. As the story progresses, however, Smith reveals the many layers to Lily’s character, her performance one which showcases an impressive light and shade. She feels strikingly real, someone you can’t help but root for, and someone who, when the play ends, you’re reluctant to say goodbye to. Matthew Blaney is equally as magnetic. He is the perfect counterpart to Smith’s Lily, skilfully balancing Adam’s self-conscious demeanour, cynical humour and underlying earnestness throughout. Together, the pair bring a beautiful authenticity to the piece, making it easy to forget you’re even watching a performance at all. 

Niall McCarthy’s script is another part of the production which shines. It’s sharp, contemporary, hilarious yet profound and, perhaps best of all, remarkably realistic and relatable. It captures the rhythm of everyday conversation, with the topics switching effortlessly between something light-hearted to something existential, the nuances always keeping us engaged. However, if anything, the script’s strength is also a slight weakness. With so many compelling ideas woven into its runtime, there are moments where a handful of the plot threads could have benefitted from a little more space to unfold.

Occasionally, there are moments when the production design clashes slightly with the sense of naturalism that the rest of Together in the End establishes so well. The lighting is surprisingly bright for most of the play which, at times, pulling me away from the situation that Adam and Lily find themselves in. A softer, dimmer approach would heighten the tension, terror and claustrophobia that the script and performances build, as well as the palpable intimacy at the heart of the piece. The sound effects are also, sometimes, quite overt, although the piercing alarm is genuinely chilling.

If the world really was ending tonight, Together in the End makes a convincing case for spending your last night with people you’re closest to…or people you met on Hinge. Beyond its apocalyptic premise is an exceptionally human story about love, faith and facing the unknown – and a production that deserves a life after Camden Fringe has finished.

Read more about this play in our recent interview here.

Written by Niall McCarthy
Presented by NC Productions
Directed by Kay Dent
Produced by Viola Rizzardi
Sound Design by Ryan Rusconi
Set Design by Salomé Gonçalves

Together in the End plays at Rosemary Branch Theatre until Saturday 8 August as part of Camden Fringe.