Sundown (BirminghamFest)

Sundown tells the story of two strangers (Lara and Kris) who meet at a specific place at a specific time in both their lives. The audience are never told explicitly why they have gone to this place but it is very clear through the writing and the not so subtle hints that Haywood weaves into his script. The two hander is performed well by Emily Summers and Benjamin Thorne, both of whom are regulars on the Birmingham fringe scene. Their characteristics are subtle and realistic, both avoiding the temptations to over perform some of the more challenging aspects of the play.

This piece, as Haywood explained before the show and afterwards during a post-show discussion being held after each performance, is still being developed and there are some parts of the script that could be tightened or explored further. However the play ends at the perfect moment, leaving the audience to decide the fate of the characters for themselves and to imagine their own versions of the future for the two.

– Jonathan Wright