Cancer

Synopsis

An off-campus attic in a 1960s American university town, where the turbulence of the era seeps into the daily lives of eight college students.

Moonchildren, originally titled Cancer, by Michael Weller, explores the lives of a group of college roommates over the course of a year as they navigate love, politics, and identity. These “moonchildren” are a representation of the rootless 60s generation, engrossed in free-love, protests, and a search for meaning in a world that feels increasingly chaotic. The play captures their interactions and confrontations, which are marked by wit and a sense of disillusionment as they march against the status quo and taunt authority figures.

The narrative weaves together the personal and the political, showcasing the internal conflicts and external pressures that shape their experiences. One character feels a profound emotional impact from his mother’s death from cancer, while others deal with the collapse of romances and the grim realisation that their lives might be just as hollow as the institutions they rebel against. Weller’s unique style blends elements of Chekhovian drama, vaudeville, and Beckettian absurdity, creating a tapestry of events and relationships that reflect the era’s zeitgeist.