The Dawn of Reckoning is a powerful two-hander about friendship, loss, guilt and the possibility of finding a second chance when and where it’s least expected. By turns moving and comic, this new play from critically acclaimed Mark Bastin asks the question: How do we move on from tragedy when the hardest person to forgive is ourself?
Review by Richard Lambert
This play has possibly the best set I’ve seen at the White Bear Theatre. Set in the lobby bar of a hotel, the two women meet in the middle of the night and bicker through their irritations with each other. Once best friends, and now protagonists, these two very different women have a lot of shared history. Things they’ve shared and their overlapping lives keep the plot twists coming.
Superb acting from the two women with very natural direction bring this alive and keep it interesting. The story reveals secrets that neither had previously shared with each other, things they hadn’t known about each other, that involved those they had loved. It’s a great story well told by Mark Bastin in this new play.
The fully working set has a well stocked bar of drinks and a freezer for choc ices. The windows open and the sounds from the street come into the space. With practical lamps, LED Strips in the bar and edging the stage there’s enough technical elements to play with and telegraph that something ghostly is happening.
Nothing is declared in black and white leaving the audience to determine whether or not this is a ghost story. An intriguing play with a great cast and high quality production values.
Photo credit: Rob Cheatley
🎭 Cast
- Jilly Bond – Ruth
- Bryonie Pritchard – Helena
🎬 Creatives
- Mark Bastin – Writer
- Matthew Parker – Director
- Abbie Sage – Lighting Designer
- Andy Graham – Sound Designer
- Hannah Williams – Set & Costume Designer
🏢 Production
- MBA Productions – Producer