How many seconds will the average woman in the UK live for? The answer probably won't surprise you if you read the title. A short two hander, it's also no surprise that Maud Dromgoole's play on overpopulation has limited roles. 3 Billion Seconds answers the question, what do two activists concerned with the fading resources on Earth do to justify their own accidental pregnancy? How far will they go to find enough seconds for their own child?
"I don't have a pension. The NHS is collapsing. I'm not being an old person in this country. I'm taking myself out in a blaze of glory the day I turn sixty."
In some ways, Daisy and Michael's determination to build a life for their child could be seen as optimism for a better future. That way would be convoluted misreading; this play is brutal and I didn't get the impression anyone would be living happily ever after. Still, the twisted logic and the escalation as the characters struggle to cut their footprint on the Earth are amazing and best witnessed first-hand.
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