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Overview
Synopsis
The Children is set in 'a small cottage on the east coast', where Hazel and Robin, two retired nuclear scientists in their mid-sixties, are living. A recent disaster at the local power station where they used to work has devastated the area and they live under the threat of radiation pollution. Electricity and water are rationed and they keep a Geiger counter to check for signs of radiation. However, Hazel is determined to preserve some semblance of normality and live the healthiest life she possibly can. So, Robin now farms, while Hazel practises yoga and devours salad. But when Rose, a former colleague whom they haven’t seen for 38 years, suddenly turns up, she disrupts their precariously ordered existence. Rose is determined that they must fix the problems they have caused for the next generation, even if it means certain death. Exploring issues of accountability, guilt, and morality, Lucy Kirkwood’s three-hander presents a very real, post-nuclear world.
Show Information
- Book
- Lucy Kirkwood
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2016
- Genres
- Drama, Dark Comedy
- Settings
- Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- The British Coast
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Nick Hern Book
- Ideal For
- Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Mature Adult Characters
Context
Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children was inspired by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear explosion in Japan. The play premiered in the West End at the Royal Court Theatre in 2016 and starred Francesca Annis, Deborah Findlay, and Ron Cook. It transferred to Broadway in November 2017 with the same cast, and received two Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Featured Actress in a Play (for Deborah Findlay).
The Children premiered in Australia in 2018, winning the 2018 Helpmann Award for Best Play.
to read the context for The Children and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The play opens on a summer evening in a small cottage on the English coast. Rose is sitting on a chair with a bloody nose and it soon becomes clear that Hazel hit Rose in the face, falsely believing her old friend to be an intruder. Hazel had heard that Rose had died so her appearance is rather a shock. Rose catches up on Hazel’s family as the two women have not seen each other for over thirty years while Rose worked in America. Yet, Rose still seems to be strangely familiar with the layout of
to read the plot for The Children and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher