THE COST OF FOREVER: IMMORTALITY EXPLORED IN A STORY STILL FINDING ITS FOOTING

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

If you could choose to live forever, would you? Continuity, written by David Sear, dives headfirst into that timeless question, but in this near-future world of 2032, immortality comes with fine print, limitations, and consequences far more complicated than you might expect. What unfolds is a story that probes the moral and ethical dilemmas of eternal life, where the rich grow richer and only the elite can afford eternity.

The production opens with eerie piano keys being played at random, immediately creating an unsettling tone and filling the space with a sense of suspense. An open, four-walled stage with four solitary chairs draws the audience’s attention solely to the performers. The father, soon to be known as 7 (Martin Maynard) and his child (Asher Guy) begin a conversation about the nature of time, during which we learn that A’s recent reliance on a wheelchair stems from a car accident within the last two years. Through dimmed lighting, the steady tick of a clock, and projections of shifting timepieces overhead, the play draws a clear line between past and present.

The varied lighting was engaging at first, but its repeated use gradually diminished its impact. Paired with the production’s slower pacing, this made it harder to stay fully immersed, even though the core concept was compelling. Several conversations between the parents also felt longer than necessary and contributed to these dips in momentum, though their natural chemistry brought an authenticity to their scenes that deserves recognition. With some tightening in the writing, particularly around the timing of the humour, the piece could flow more smoothly and allow its strongest moments to land more consistently.

The father delivered the standout performance; his portrayal felt remarkably natural, as though he were truly living the character’s circumstances. The grandmother, played by Geraldine Hindley, was another compelling presence; her grounded performance and lighter tone brought a welcome lift to the play’s darker themes. Director and Costume Designer, Rosina Piovani, reinforced this contrast effectively by dressing the grandmother in light colours at the start, reflecting her brighter outlook. This thoughtful attention to detail extended to the child as well, who begins the show in muted grey tones before switching to brightly coloured shoes in the second act. This visual cue neatly mirrored their shift in mood as their now famous immortal father sparked their interest in becoming a TikTok sensation.

The dramatic shift in tone in the second act feels unexpected, and I wasn’t entirely convinced it served the story as effectively as intended. The political references and accompanying humour didn’t seem to land with the audience on the night, which softened the impact of those moments. While the theme of anger, particularly between the parents, continued throughout both acts the shift from simmering tension to louder outbursts and shouting sometimes felt jarring. Though this aligned with the narrative, it occasionally disrupted the flow of the scene and felt like it did not achieve the emotional effect the production aims for.

I appreciate the futuristic premise of this production, and the core storyline was genuinely intriguing; however, the show as a whole didn’t fully connect with my friend and me. We felt we might have engaged more had it been a little more concise, fewer themes and slightly more upbeat in its delivery. It’s clear that a great deal of passion has gone into the work from both the writer and the cast, and while the foundations of a compelling narrative are certainly there, it simply needs some fine-tuning. I hope Sear continues to develop the piece, and I’d be interested to see how the show evolves in future iterations.

Continuity is running at The Cockpit until Saturday 22 November.

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