X

Synopsis

A small research base on Pluto, billions of miles from Earth. An unspecified time in the future

Gilda, a geologist and reluctant leader, struggles to maintain order and sanity among her fellow crew members as they lose contact with Earth and face an increasingly uncertain future. As time becomes fluid and reality begins to unravel, Gilda must confront her own memories, fears, and the possibility that they may be the last humans in existence.

Alistair McDowall’s X is a haunting exploration of isolation, memory, and the deterioration of reality in the face of extreme circumstances. Through its non-linear structure and increasingly fragmented scenes, the play creates a disorienting atmosphere that mirrors the characters’ mental states. McDowall’s dialogue crackles with tension, humour, and existential dread, creating a world where the boundaries between past, present, and future blur. The play grapples with themes of time, identity, and the human need for connection. As Gilda and her crew lose their grip on reality, the audience is forced to question what is real and what is imagined, examining larger questions about mortality and what it means to be human in the face of an indifferent universe.