Synopsis

A remote seaside town in Edwardian England becomes a microcosm of human folly and resilience in the face of tragedy and cosmic uncertainty.

Willy, a young man who survives a violent storm and boating accident that claims the life of his friend Colin, finds himself at the centre of a small coastal community’s barely contained chaos. As the locals grapple with the tragedy, we encounter a cast of eccentric characters including Mrs Rafi, the town’s domineering aristocrat; Hatch, a paranoid draper convinced of an alien invasion; and Evens, a reclusive former draper living on the beach.

Edward Bond crafts a biting satire of class dynamics and small-town insularity, while simultaneously exploring deeper themes of grief, madness, and humanity’s place in an indifferent universe. Through a series of increasingly absurd encounters, the play oscillates between moments of cutting humour and profound existential inquiry.

As Willy and Colin’s fiancée Rose navigate their grief and uncertain future, Bond challenges us to consider: In a world teetering between absurdity and despair, can human connections and the pursuit of meaning offer a lifeline against the vast, indifferent sea of existence?