Simon Stephens’ new play, *A Slow Fire*, explores themes of fear, hope, and humanity’s survival in a dystopian future. Set in a claustrophobic bunker, the drama centers on two men, Ashton and Reece, who have sought refuge from a world ravaged by explosions and wildfires. The production, directed by Rex Ryan and running at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre until September 26, is a dark comedy that draws heavily on the influence of Samuel Beckett.

The play follows Ashton, an academic theologian portrayed by Ross Gaynor, who is characterized by a gently prickly pomposity and a persistent longing for his first love, David. Ashton expresses a belief that “being able to hope is what makes us human.” His companion, Reece, played by Ian Toner, is a former university porter who is both sensitive and cautious, still haunted by a recent breakup with the mother of his son. Together, they attempt to recreate moments from their past relationships and lives as a means to stave off despair in their bleak new reality.

Stephens frames their attempts at role-playing as echoes of Beckett’s existential works, particularly *Krapp’s Last Tape*, but with a key difference. In *A Slow Fire*, humor arises not from recorded memories but from the men's efforts to embody the figures who have shaped them. Their shared obsession with mapmaking underscores a tragic element; they believe that mapping the world elevates humanity above other species, yet their maps only reveal the damage humans have inflicted on the planet.

The play’s dark tone is intensified by the arrival of Presley, a gun-carrying figure brought to life by Fionn Ó Loingsigh, whose presence signals impending violence and chaos. Presley articulates a bleak perspective on humanity, stating that there is a fundamental part of the human soul that ensures warnings are perpetually ignored, suggesting an inherent self-destructive impulse.

Stylistically, the production features a stark set design where candles burn in makeshift holders, such as baked bean tins, highlighting the characters’ precarious existence. The play’s blend of absurdity and stark realism seeks to probe whether love and hope can withstand the collapse of society and environment.

While some aspects of the storytelling have been noted as occasionally unclear, the overall impact is described as powerful, with humor that is at times dark and sharply sarcastic, including a notably unexpected twist involving pork. *A Slow Fire* grapples with the resilience of the human spirit amid a backdrop of environmental and existential crisis, capturing the tension between despair and the persistent drive to find meaning.