This is the first outing for a young company. and as such they are not experienced in either writing or putting on shows. The setting is a future time in which everyone is 'processed' ie, killed at a certain time - 65 for the able bodied, and earlier for those who are ill or disabled. We see 67 (Sariel Heseltine) waiting for the end and talking to an enigmatic other (Renwick McAslan) in the ante-room of civic death. Talk is of the 'vote' many years ago when euthanasia was legalised, and of how the legislation expanded. 67 had a wife with MS, and was keen on the legislation, but did not see where it was going. Later, a young wheelchair bound man appears (66) are we getting down to 65? - appears, who has so much to lose.The writing is rather heavy and polemical early on - it is with the arrival of 66 (Josh Ward) that it seems to improve. He is given several verbal flourishes that make you think, 'If only all the writing had been at this level.'I would like to be more generous with this new, young company, but in a didactic piece it is important to give a well-fleshed-out airing to the views that are held in opposition to your belief, and I dont feel that this was done here. I think that this play needs much development work to be done on it. Something gripping could be done in the half hour that this allows itself but the characters would need to be much more exposed with the possible exception of 67 they are all much too flimsy here. With this extensive work, something really effective on the chosen theme could be achieved.
