AFTER THE UNTHINKABLE: SIX LIVES, ONE TRAGEDY

By Natasha U’Ren-Ashdown | @tasha.ua ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

When we see a shooting on the news or slow down for a car crash on the motorway, most of us can’t help but look. There is something in human nature that draws us to other people’s misfortune, not because we enjoy it, but perhaps because we assume it will never happen to us. BU21 taps into this instinct by examining the lives of six people affected by a fictional terrorist attack in London, in which a plane is shot out of the sky, killing thousands and permanently altering countless lives. Staged at the Network Theatre beneath Waterloo station (easiest to locate via their website, not their address), BU21 tackles themes of trauma and PTSD with sensitivity, frequently punctuated by sharp, dry British humour.

Before the performance, the play seemed poised to go one of two ways: an insightful but relentlessly bleak portrayal of trauma weighed down by political messaging, or something more subtle and humane. Writer Stuart Slade confidently opts for the latter, striking an impressive balance between grief and wit. Stories of loss and survival are woven together with warmth and humour, keeping the audience engaged and, at times, genuinely laughing. The narrative follows six characters who experienced the event from vastly different perspectives: those who heard it, witnessed it, were physically injured, or lost someone close, a structure that allows the impact of the tragedy to unfold gradually and powerfully.

The staging is sparse yet highly effective. The play opens in a fog-filled space, the stage pitch-black except for a single illuminated doorframe, accompanied by the low murmur of aeroplane communications overhead. Darkness dominates throughout, with focused spotlights illuminating individual cast members as they step forward to recount whom they lost and how they are coping in the aftermath. This minimalist approach strips away distraction, forcing the audience to confront each character’s experience directly and allowing a deeply personal portrait of trauma to emerge. Billy Arthur’s direction is particularly effective as these initially separate monologues begin to intersect, culminating in shared PTSD support meetings that bind the narratives together with quiet precision.

Each of the six characters represents a distinct response to trauma: repression, overcompensation, depression, hallucinations, experiences shaped by racism and religion, and acts of heroism. One character’s decision to withhold a crucial secret, revealed unexpectedly near the end, adds a well-judged narrative twist. While the ensemble is uniformly strong, two performances stand out in particular. Alex (Joseph Vance), a hilariously vulgar finance bro, plays a London hedge-fund stereotype with unapologetic excess, drawing frequent laughter from the audience. Equally compelling is Floss (Izzie Mayhew-Smith), whose stiff-upper-lip restraint and dark humour produce moments that are both shocking and deeply funny, leaving the audience gasping and laughing in rapid succession.

BU21 succeeds in transforming an unthinkable tragedy into a thoughtful, engaging, and unexpectedly funny piece of theatre. By prioritising personal stories over spectacle or overt political commentary, the play humanises trauma without exploiting it. Stuart Slade’s writing, combined with Billy Arthur’s assured direction, ensures that moments of humour never undermine the gravity of the subject matter, instead making the characters feel more real and relatable. At times uncomfortable, the production is ultimately a rewarding watch, leaving the audience reflecting not only on how we process tragedy, but on why we are so instinctively drawn to it.

BU21 is running at Network Theatre, Waterloo, from Wednesday 4 February until Saturday 7 February.

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Photo Credit: Photograph by Paul H Lunnon