“I don’t want to die” says Tom, in many different ways, throughout the play, and what follows is a long skip through the stages of grief including of course bargaining, anger, denial and finally acceptance. While this is a sentiment that most of us share, wailing against the dying of the light, it’s unclear what point the writer is trying to make. There are some science information points about the reuse of atoms and energy, and philosophising about life and death, but even the main character of Tom quips to his wife Mary that she’s giving him a lecture when she says this.

This is Tom’s story, not Tom and Mary’s together, and while he is quite well drawn the character of Mary is significantly lacking in any depth. She metaphorically circles him more as a symbol or a support worker than a wife, and while there is a reveal as to why at the end which is clearly pointed from the start, her character would benefit from some consideration as there are incongruencies. Theirs is a second marriage, they met later in life and she was a professor but gave everything up to be with him: why? She moved 100 miles away from her family and friends to be with him then resented him for never being there, a resentment that makes perfect sense, so why is she asking for his forgiveness at her outbursts? Later life partnerships without children usually form on a much more equal basis, especially when the two in question are so individually well respected at the top of their chosen fields. So why had she behaved like a 1950s housewife? The reveal concerning the friend was not only quite unbelievable but also quite sickening, yet they both moved on as if that didn’t need any further discussion.

However this is somewhat rescued by gorgeous performances from professional actors. Julian Howard McDowell is superb as Tom, watchable and riveting even though Tom is not terribly likeable. He is authentic on stage and the confusions with his dementia are beautifully done: his Tom is real and full and rounded. Sam Nixon makes a beautifully sympathetic Mary with a tricky incongruous character to convey and she garners our sympathy even if we never really find out who she is. What we can see is that she’s very intelligent and caring.

There are some odd choices which don’t seem to land: we are seeing Tom’s reality, in a hospice garden, so why is there a box of costume hats under the bench for scenes where they enact different escapes? Julian’s impressive accents seem out of step with what the character of Tom would be able to accomplish. The switches between scenes could do with clarity: fluidity might work for fantasy scenes but for flashbacks a cleaner switch might land better. This script could benefit from more work and a good editor, and tighter direction would also assist the production.

Lantern Theatre, 18 May 2026
Photos credit: William Ranieri