Reviewed: 1000 Suns: An American Afterlife

“If they’ve got limbs, put a ring on it” – as well as drumming up the biggest laugh of the night, this line neatly introduces the occasionally tongue-in-cheek message of ‘1000 Suns: An American Afterlife’: hope allows love to prevail in the face of adversity. Coincidentally, the message runs in parallel with state of the performance itself – despite a number of loose ends (such as an overbearing live band, mediocre American accents and a general lack of fluidity between lines and scenes), NADSAT delivered a show that was thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable thanks to a typically strong and energetic cast.

1000 Suns is a new musical that blends the styles of rock and folk to give a unique soundtrack that is as raw and tense as the post-apocalyptic American community which it accompanies. Set in an alternative universe, a war between the USA and the USSR in 1957 triggered a nuclear holocaust that obliterated the American state, forcing the few citizens that survived to seek refuge from radiation in a large crater. The crater in question plays host to the small town of ‘Radiation Springs’: once a haven, now 100 years on it is little more than a cage courtesy of the ruling authoritarian ‘Church’. Operating a virtual caste system, those who fail to conform to the strict rules for society laid down by leader ‘Father Sam’ are defamed as rebels – whilst appearing to hold back the threat of anarchy, this, in fact, breeds resentment for the ruling class , and therefore seeds its own destruction.

Without a doubt, the star performances of the night were given by Tom Eklid and Michael-Bryan Earnshaw: their portrayal of the romance between ‘Freddy’ and ‘Michael’ – initially denied, constantly tormented but nonetheless enduring, their thoroughly human relationship was well-conveyed, boasting a believable chemistry somewhat at odds with the other couples seen in the show. Eklid’s humour combined with Earnshaw’s emotional presence (assisted by a superb voice) propelled the whole production forward, and the momentum they added to the proceedings helped maintain other cast members’ pace and therefore the audience’s interest.

Josh Salmon offered a brooding, contemplative ‘Jesse’ in a strong performance for a stage debut, alongside Phoebe Chan’s mature portrayal of love interest ‘Laurie Delmire’. Lara Harris played the aptly named ‘Hope’, effectively balancing the demands of being affectionate towards her brother, ‘Michael’, yet masking that concern with the tough exterior required in the harsh world of Radiation Springs. Rory Curnock Cook, Izzy Webster and Hannah Ryan also offered some much overdue light relief in the roles of ‘Billy’, ‘Easy Jo’, and ‘Violet’ – Ryan in particular, in contrast to some of the other minor roles, was completely credible in her thrilling portrayal of Violet’s naïve but nonetheless snide contempt towards the rebels, especially when this world view was eventually brought crashing down to earth.

There were, however, a number of issues which detracted from the overall quality of 1000 Suns, preventing the performance from transforming from a fun show into a gripping story: although all main parts boasted strong projection of lines and intonation of song, the same could not be said for a number of minor roles. This was demonstrated in the group vocal scenes, where lyrics were often hard to discern, such as in the second half’s ‘black-out’ song, where a well-envisaged atmosphere of darkness and torchlight co-ordinated with singers was spoilt by a lack of lyrical clarity and an overbearing live band.

Accents…accents…accents. With only a few exceptions, American style speech was unconvincing, mostly heard only towards the end of sentences as an actor slowed the pace of his/her speech and increased its volume, leaving extended passages at the mercy of a fluctuating Anglo-American hybrid voice. As might be expected, this came across as rather Australian.

Finally, for a final-night performance, there was a disappointing lack of flow in between characters and scenes, meaning exchanges were often a little stilted, placing a burden on the audience to suspend a small quantity of disbelief to maintain the believability of the story.

Overall, despite being unable to penetrate the higher leagues of truly engrossing entertainment, NADSAT nonetheless delivered a rewarding evening with 1000 Suns, courtesy of some very high-calibre actors, in both core and supporting roles.