Our Share of Tomorrow at the Theatre 503

Books, songs, films, plays… they all tell stories, and many deal with love. Our Share of Tomorrow is no exception – but is it just another love story?

Written and directed by Dan Sherer, the play brought on stage by the Real Circumstance Theatre Company does not have a particularly original plot: a teenage girl, Cleo, embarks on a quest the day her mother dies; with the help of John whom she meets at the hospital, she finds Tom, a long-lost lover of her mother’s.

The one-act play mainly revolves around this encounter, which will be revealing for all involved. At the end we are left slightly puzzled as to what will happen to all of them, but perhaps that is not what really matters. The most important thing is the journey, the emotional trip everyone takes and the baggage that people carry with them, jettison, collect again, and so on. What counts is sharing experiences through highs and lows, treasuring them and living the consequences that inevitably shape our existences – perhaps hence the title of the production.

The actors are all amazing performers, which is reason enough to see Our Share of Tomorrow. They convey emotion in a way that is unavoidably affecting. Love here is not of the mushy kind – the butterflies in the stomach are gone, making space for regrets, doubts, anger and fears: fear of loving again, fear of being rejected. Tamsin Joanna Kennard as Cleo is a little overly emphatic in her gestures, but it serves her well, showing her anxious temper, typical of a restless teenager. Jot Davies and David Tarkenter, respectively playing Tom and John, look as if they are actually experiencing the characters’ vicissitudes, and not merely acting. Their intensity is such that they are able to transfer their feelings to spectators. The actors’ physicality and quality of delivery are so powerful that their passion moves the audience deeply.

Emotionally purging, as theatre should be.

Verdict: ★★★★★

Rita Vicinanza
Photos: Michael Nabarro

Our Share of Tomorrow is on at the Theatre 503 until 6^th July 2013, for further information or to book visit here.

Watch a short documentary on the making of Our Share of Tomorrow here: