EDINBURGH 2023: Review: ALONE, Assembly George Square Studios

The Earth is ravaged by the climate crisis. Resources are running out and there’s talk of relocating humans to another planet. Doctor Sarah Taylor, however, has made a discovery that could potentially change the fate of our species: a type of bacteria that could make the environment hospitable again. Her crowd-funded two-year mission to collect the samples is reaching its home stretch when the spacecraft is hit by debris. Alone with the pilot, Jessica Holland, she desperately fights to bring the research back to land.

Written and directed by Luke Thornborough, this production hails from New Zealand with wit and charm, offering a bleak look into survival. After empty chit-chat about embarrassing music and food, the two characters dig into spirituality and science. Kat Glass and Courtney Bassett give stellar performances in a production that could be trimmed slightly for the benefit of its pace. It’s a contemporary space Odyssey.

In an age where space travel and alternative means of endurance are becoming the topic of the day, the play might as well be a glance to our near future. The writing is filled with compassionate irony and a heart of gold, kick-starting a reflection on whom or what we put our faith in. Created in collaboration with scientific advisors and boasting precise insights into the science that could save our lives, Alone wonders if we’re really equipped to be left alone to our own devices.

Alone runs at Assembly George Square Studios on the following dates:  9-13, 15-20, 22-28 August.

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