A thrilling acting duel between Mercè Aránega and Emma Vilarasau

The future of our children is one of humanity's greatest current concerns in a world dominated by uncertainty and where all sustainability initiatives are being stripped away. On January 1, 2023, the European Union designated nuclear energy as green energy. In early February 2026, Donald Trump eliminated limitations on greenhouse gases, and the agreement between Russia and the United States on the proliferation of nuclear weapons expired without renewal. The environment is in dire straits, and the irresponsibility of those making these decisions will clearly affect the children of all humanity, as the renowned British playwright Lucy Kirkwood tells us in her play. The children (The children), a play that premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2017, now presented in a magnificent translation by Cristina Genebat and featuring memorable performances by Mercè Aránega, Emma Vilarasau, and Jordi Boixaderas.

"This woman is fantastic," said a spectator behind us, referring to actress Mercè Aránega, who plays Hazel. And it's true that she and Emma Vilarasau (Rose) engage in a high-level acting duel between two very different women, linked by their past work at a nuclear power plant and their relationships with Robin, Hazel's current husband. The couple are two retired nuclear physicists turned farmers who live near the exclusion zone of the nuclear power plant where they worked for many years and which was destroyed by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The couple, with three children and an older daughter who has moved out, have adapted to the energy and food restrictions brought on by the disaster. One day, they receive a visit from a former colleague from the power plant who reminisces about the past and suggests a possible redemption. Hazel is an organized, prudent, level-headed woman and a tender lover to Robin. In stark contrast, Rose is impulsive, a smoker, and a dreamer. Why has she come? What does she want? Amid jokes, reminiscences, recriminations, and the occasional dance, the play navigates between sentimental issues and professional responsibility, thanks to Genebat's fluid translation and the precise and imaginative direction of the brilliant David Selvas. A production destined for well-deserved success that we can only recommend.