Synopsis

A modest flat in East London, where the sizzle of onions in a pan mingles with the distant echo of a bomb.

Nick, a restless young teacher, prepares dinner for his colleague and close friend Helen. As they chop vegetables and sip wine, the air crackles with unspoken tension. Nick reveals his plans to leave their challenging inner-city school for a posh job in Essex, shattering Helen’s long-harbored hopes for their relationship. Their seemingly mundane conversation about chili recipes and driving lessons masks a minefield of repressed emotions and mismatched expectations.

David Eldridge’s Under the Blue Sky is a masterful exploration of unrequited love and the unspoken bonds between friends. Set against the backdrop of 1990s London and the renewal of IRA bombings, the play delves into the complexities of modern relationships. As layers of Nick and Helen’s shared history are peeled back, the play touches on themes of class mobility, professional burnout, and the sometimes toxic nature of codependency.