Claustrophobic theater done right

There are plays that are not easy to describe without revealing what the audience should discover throughout the performance. And this is one of them. An early work by the English playwright Dennis Kelly, author of some thirty plays and also of the libretto for the famous musical Matilda as well as the script for the film of the same name. In any case, we can say that After the end It falls into the subgenre of claustrophobic theatre, like that first success of Jordi Galceran (Chained words) or the Misery by Stephen King, which Sergi Mateu premiered at the Teatro Principal in 1999. In this subgenre, there's always a place you can't leave, either because they won't let you or because you can't. And, of course, a character with a certain imbalance.

A After the end, the young and popular secretary Louise wakes up in an underground shelter. She remembers nothing of what happened, and her co-worker from the reprographics department, Mark, explains that he rescued her from the carnage created by a suitcase nuclear bomb. Luckily, Mark has kept the old shelter in the garden of the house he bought a few years ago in very good condition. Just in case, he's kept it supplied with food. Louise has no choice but to accept what Mark tells her.

Mark is kind, maniacal, and unpopular in his work environment. But he's also Louise's friend, with whom he has had many interesting conversations. Now, closed until the nuclear alert is over, they will have time to chat, to sleep, to eat.

Claustrophobic and psychological theater with extremely high demands on the performers. What is Mark like? Ramon Pujol has made him his own. With a disturbing kindness and a suspicious calmness underscored by a slight stutter, Meritxell Calvo is a grateful Louise... at first. Marc Rosich's direction is magnificent, also responsible for a translation that flows with gusto. Paula Font Creixell's simple stage space is highly effective. A highly recommended theatrical proposal.