Swansong
Andrew Anderson
Have you ever wished you could start again from scratch, with no past to hold you back? We probably all have at one time or another – I know I have – but it’s not something that happens in real life…and perhaps that’s for the best.
However, it’s exactly this situation that the protagonists of Swansong find themselves in. Only their fresh start isn’t a clean sheet of paper, but rather an endless expanse of water.
Here’s the premise: four people are floating in a pedalo, following a flood of biblical proportions. Their budget ark has saved them and they are the only survivors. But how can they begin again, and which parts of the past will they choose to save in their collective conscience?
Swansong is a brilliant example of how a small scenario is often the best way to deal with big ideas. By keeping the characters cooped up, DugOut Theatre can put massive topics under the microscope like memory, meaning and the problems that occur when billions of people live together on one tiny planet.
The show has already taken on Edinburgh Fringe, picking up a fistful of four-star reviews, and is now coming to The Lowry for four nights. Swansong is quick, clever, captivating and also very funny, which provides welcome comic relief – after all, if you can’t face the apocalypse with a grin, what can you do?
