Wrong Tree’s Too Close to the Sun follows three groups of people on the edge of apocalypse. Journeying through the Arctic, a doomsday cult and outer space, we witness vignettes of drama as the characters navigate the panic of realising the sun will no longer rise. Passionate but overall overcooked, the group could benefit from an outside eye to help edit their ideas.
Passionate but overcooked
The first scene features two friends who have been on an expedition in the Arctic (though the location is unclear) for seventy five days. Though their conversation begins focused, the writing unravels as too many ideas are introduced to the text, resulting in incongruent musings on life and a heavy reliance on metaphors to express feeling. With the help of the rest of the cast (who are not featured in the scene until this point) moments of physical theatre are introduced which, though fitting for the genre, lack purpose and motivation.
The second segment of the show is the strongest, communicating a clearer narrative with stronger dialogue. We are introduced to a group inhabiting a bunker. With one suspicious addition to the group, tensions rise as questions of leadership are raised and news of the apocalypse is transmitted through the radio. Though this section has its flaws, it certainly gave the piece momentum.
Finally, we join an astronaut with his AI robot assistant who is running out of solar power after the disappearance of the sun. Much like the rest of the play, this section suffers from the use of cliché and mistimed injections of existentialism. The narrative has potential, but the company need to be careful of falling into tropes that impede authenticity.
Overall, Too Close to the Sun needs further development, but it is clear that the company are spirited and dedicated to telling their story.
