The Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court has long gained a reputation for pushing artistic boundaries and showcasing new and innovative work. Following that brief, Chris Thorpe takes centre stage in Talking About the Fire and sets off a ripple effect, inspiring the audience to engage in important and difficult conversations around the possibilities of nuclear war.

In this one-man-show, Chris Thorpe - who is also the writer - takes on the responsibility of talking us through some hard-hitting facts on nuclear arms policies and practices of different nations, including the UK’s, which is one of nine countries worldwide that holds its own nuclear arsenal. Through narration of his own real-life encounters with Véronique Christory, Senior Arms Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Thorpe shares with us the origins of his passionate crusade for worldwide nuclear arms regulation and the journey he has been on ever since.

Performing a one-man-show for 90 minutes straight is no mean feat and Chris Thorpe makes it look like a walk in the park. Relaxed, casual but always engaging, he creates a truly cosy atmosphere and breaks through the barrier between performer and audience like a knife through butter. The intimate space of the Jerwood, the simple, soft lighting design by Arnim Friess and a very basic set design that mainly involves a big rug, a projector screen, a table, a keyboard and a microphone, all add to the illusion that we’re just visiting a friend for a chat.

While Thorpe is effortlessly approachable and the discussion truly captivating and undeniably important, from a dramaturgical perspective, the show seems to suffer a little, as it leans heavily towards a TED Talk format with sprinkles of stand-up comedy and lacks a much-needed conclusive resolution. This becomes especially obvious during the final minutes of the show when the audience is given the space to ask questions, whose nature is testament to the audience’s desire for a glimmer of hope, encouragement, or guidance. Following the performance, the lovely staff of the Royal Court hand out cards to the audience members as they exit which contain helpful resources, however it is not clear what these cards are, unless you actually decide to take one anyway.

Activism and politics are inextricably linked with the arts and especially with theatre. Talking About the Fire has a lot to say and it’s imperative that we listen and that we take action. There is, however, something to be said about the way that information is passed on, and the damage it can create in the present, in an effort to “save the future”. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic when the world is trying to recover from the huge mental health crisis created by the media’s sensationalisation of death, the daily bombardment with images of death or threats of the possibility of death, all sanctified under the guise of “educating the public”, it is worth asking if compromising mental health today by repeating menacing, non-specific phrases like “the chances are higher than you think” is the best way to try and fix the problems of tomorrow.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Erifyli Gigante

Talking About The Fire plays at the Royal Court Theatre until 16 December, with further information here.