[THEATRE REVIEW] NOW @ Theatre Works’ Explosive Factory Review (2026)
With technology continuing to advance at a rapid rate, Now deals with a new take on reality post COVID-19.
A middle-aged mother, X, played by Helene Tardif, is environmentally responsible, aware of her carbon footprint and climate change.
Her husband, Y (Marc Opitz), who has spent 25 years in advertising, is frustrated that he can’t get through to their lazy son, who is living in a world of his own.
Donning a set of homemade virtual reality glasses adorned with yellow lights, he (Andrew Drava) simply dismisses his father’s overtures.
Without any university studies, the son, having crossed over to the new reality known as Now, sees his father dismissed from his job, only to take his place.
The reason – his new age thinking.
In this new reality you can eat all you want without putting on weight and you only have to envision something for it to happen.
It is in this realm that the son, known as The One, meets his romantic match, called The First (Georgina Scott).
Mother, being far more open minded than her husband, is ready to embrace the new dimension, while father sees it as a load of poppycock.
The action picks up from there.
While creative to a point, I must say I didn’t warm to Now.
It is supposed to be a dark comedy, but I didn’t find anything amusing about it.
Like the father’s conceit, I saw it as a load of cobblers. I remained far from convinced that there was enough exposition.
A lot of words were spoken, but they didn’t mean a great deal.
Don’t get me wrong. I welcome new ideas, but just saying something is real doesn’t make it so.
The script for Now needed more work. It was too thin.
Frankly, I didn’t find the ending all that satisfying either.
As far as the performances are concerned, nothing jumped out at me.
I found the father too shouty and the son too off with the pixies.
The set was basic – little more than a few carpet tiles with a mirrored other side, representing the Now, plus an opaque form of curtaining behind a lit-up doorway.
At 55 minutes, Now is only a short play, but I struggled even with that length because not enough happened.
Directed by Marion Arditti, it is on at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory until 7th March, 2026.
Review by Alex First