What you need to know
Alistair McDowall's new dystopian drama Pomona has opened at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. Ned Bennett directs the urban sci-fi thriller by 27-year-old McDowall, best known for Talk Show at the Royal Court and Brilliant Adventures at the Royal Exchange.
The story focuses on a young woman called Ollie who is searching for her missing sister when she discovers Pomona, a mysterious abandoned industrial island in the heart of Manchester. With the help of oddball tycoon Zeppo, she discovers the secrets lurking in the city's dark underbelly. Runs until 13 December.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What the critics like
McDowall, "an exceptionally talented and fast-rising writer, plays an intriguing game with this dystopian drama", says Kate Bassett in The Times. The sinister, teasing maze, incorporating gaming, mafia thrillers and sci-fi, is arrestingly idiosyncratic and unpredictable and has an atmosphere of apocalyptic menace, yet it's shot through with flashes of irresistibly cheeky comic relief.
McDowall's "bruising, brilliant play" presents a surreal vision of the vacuousness of the modern world, as well as its extraordinary, mythic possibilities, says Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard. With cleverly fractured storytelling and meaty performances, Pomona's nightmarish allure has the power to suck us in.
McDowall's "creepy, complex thriller" is a lushly plotted, intricate piece of rings and roundabouts, unexpected turns and half-real conclusions, says Miriam Zendle on What's On Stage. Seriously dark but studded with numerous laugh-out-loud moments, its strong, winding structure will keep you guessing until the end.
What they don't like
This unnerving mix of urban nightmare and sci-fi thriller is "bleakly pessimistic", presenting a world where our solitary lives continue in a meaningless loop of pain and suffering, says Michael Billington in The Guardian. The horror-story format is not ideal as a vehicle for serious ideas, but the play is undeniably gripping and was rapturously received by its young audience.
-
How will the new Repayment Assistance Plan for student loans work?the explainer The Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) will replace existing income-driven repayment plans
-
In the Spotlight Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been at odds with US forces
-
Music reviews: Ethel Cain, Amaarae, and The Black KeysFeature "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You," "Black Star," and "No Rain, No Flowers"
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim RobinsonThe Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptationThe Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff GoldblumThe Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thrillerThe Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
-
How to do F1: British Grand Prix 2025The Week Recommends One of the biggest events of the motorsports calendar is back and better than ever
