It is night. An unfamiliar bed, and young Joan can not sleep. Caryl Churchill's "Far Away" is a short play, but it covers a lot of ground, growing into a surreal apocalyptic future where even the pins have taken a side. Why are they fighting? It's not clear - a relatable sentiment as fragments of escalating violence back home find their way onto my screen.
"You've found out something secret. You know that don't you?"
The play starts out with a scene many of us may find familiar, staying with a relative, the slight eeriness of existing in a new space. It's not unlike my first few nights after moving to England for my studies. Everything sounds different, you forget where you are. But there's this growing danger; a dread through the play as Churchill slowly unveils what Joan saw that night.
I thoroughly recommend reading this in daylight hours, and sleeping in your own bed afterwards unless you enjoy being spooked. Distinctive characters and an ending you won't be expecting, this is a little masterpiece.
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