Review: SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT, Riverside Studios

Queer friendships and the end of the world. It’s an unusual, but exciting, premise that underscores Love Song Productions’ new show Seconds to Midnight. Both concepts hold challenging, complex, and interesting pathways for exploration. However, in only 50 minutes and despite the effort of its cast, Seconds to Midnight fails to explore either concept successfully.

Jo and Eddie have been friends since first year, after meeting in a closet during Seven Minutes in Heaven, are still best friends (although it’s rather hard to believe), and now live together. As the show begins, we’re told there is a nuclear missile due to destroy the planet in hours. Faced with this news, Jo and Eddie are set with the task of exploring themselves, their friendship, and the world they live in. Except, they don’t. They just argue pointlessly throughout each scene. So much so, that I couldn’t understand why either of them liked each other or remained in the friendship – especially as the world was ending. The tension and animosity between them could work if they explored some of the themes they bring to the surface.

Eddie has hidden feelings about Jo meeting his parents and is insecure about being lonely. On the other hand, Jo has struggled with previous relationships and shares the same loneliness as Eddie. These are fascinating hints of the character’s lives – especially that feeling of loneliness ever present in the queer community. I just wish these had been explored instead of arguments about drawing and body counts which served little purpose to the characters or the plot.

Our two leads, Elise Busset and Cosimo Asvisio, try their best – and they are certainly very capable performers - but the production leaves them feeling a little monotonous. The strong points of the script are the flashback snippets of Eddie and Jo’s first meeting during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven – a great comparison to their final hours on earth. However, these snippets are via voice-over, and in a blackout. I couldn’t help but feel this was a missed opportunity. So much of the space wasn’t used, these scenes surely could have been visible to us – it would’ve been an endearing insight into the pair’s backstory.

Something I adore about my queer friends is the innate and effortless baseline understanding we have with each other. There are so many conversations that are just that much easier because of our shared identities. It was disheartening to see that Eddie and Jo do not share this within their friendship. Yes, the world is ending so tensions are high, but it felt as if their shared queer experiences only allowed for further misunderstanding. I don’t think this was intentional – from writer Jessica Tabraham or either of the actors – but it muddled the message of the play entirely.

It's tough writing reviews for shows like Seconds to Midnight because I know the amount of incredible hard work that it takes to get a show from page to stage. The themes that are already lurking behind this script provide great potential for something truly meaningful.  

With their world ending, Eddie and Jo deserve a celebration of their queerness and their friendship in their final moments, instead of bickering about their ideal type of partner. I hope the team behind Seconds to Midnight can give this to them in future developments of the show.

Seconds to Midnight runs until 21 July at Riverside Studios

Photo Credit: Riya Kataria 

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