This Changes Everything

by Joel Horwood

A group of disillusioned young women have disappeared. On a platform out at sea, they have formed The Community – a new type of society and a better way of living. But how can you change the world if you’ve taken yourself out of it?

This Changes Everything is part of Platform, a new initiative from Tonic Theatre and NHB.

Genres: Plays

88 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2015

Reviews

[Mark Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teaching Note: Describing ‘This changes everything’ as a theatrical fusion of Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm with a little Big Brother seems pretty apt. Responding to pending environmental and/or socio-political concerns, a group of young women have removed themselves from mainstream society, and set up their own utopian ‘thinktank’ to develop new ways of living upon an old structure (oil rig / military fort?) located just off the coast / out to sea. When three new women arrive at the same time as another disappears, the action is set off with dystopian consequences.

The play is structured in 5 short - multi scene - acts that focus around their next up- coming meeting, the duration between each act jumps week/s , month/s and then a year. There is also a fairly simple theatrical rhythm to the play-script which would lend itself to easier interpretation and staging.

With a large cast of approximately 20 characters, none that are overly complicated, I found keeping track of each character’s role and function a little confusing whilst I reading the play alone to myself. However, in a classroom context with each student reading a different role, i’m sure this would be easily overcome. I could see easily myself using ‘This changes everything’ in the English classroom some time soon.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This play ultimately falls flat despite an interesting concept and promising ideas. The characters are two dimensional and are a brilliant example of why people say "show, don't tell." The ending is mean-spirited and dissatisfying without build up or reason. The entire argument is magically resolved. The entire play feels like someone smashing plastic barbies together and calling it "art." It accomplishes little in its short runtime save for dangling a carrot in front of the reader, only to discard it because it doesn't know what else to do.

[Bethany Cattell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically Animal Farm meets Lord of the Flies meets Greenham Common...

[juno · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

read for an audition and was pleasantly suprised by the ending.