Review: Lava by James Fritz

Vin's voice has disappeared; 12,000 people died in an asteroid accident. In the wake of such a catastrophic disaster, how important is Vin's personal struggle? This play by James Fritz asks some pertinent questions about grief, mental health and the experience of the individual.

Rach is an idealistic young woman in a dead-end career, who dreams of being mayor one day sets out to help. However, even for the ever-optimistic Rach, the world is askew, and she has noticed that things are disappearing: a post box, a swimming pool, even a pub. Great chasms are opening in the world, and nobody is noticing.

The play's moments of post-modern bleakness are cleverly interlaced with comedy. These elements are usually brought by the charmingly eloquent and mildly irritating Jamie, who has experienced the greatest tragedy of all by losing his mother in the disaster. Jamie's eloquence in the face of grief causes us to further question Vin's right to remain silent.

As frustrations grow, the three almost become stuck in a messy love triangle. ‘Almost’ because nothing much ever actually happens – this is a play that deals in inaction rather than action. However, that is also its appeal, as the characters are real, flawed human beings. Despite their attempts to connect with one another in a way that is meaningful, they find themselves lying to and disappointing one another.

Yet, in a play that deals so richly in the idea of loss, there is also much that is found. Vin's mother Vicky takes in a stray cat called Gus, and the play somehow leaves us with a sense of hope for the future. Its structure – laid out as the five stages of grief – encourages us to recognise perhaps that happiness can only ever come with acceptance.

From the perspective of a drama teacher, the characters of Rach and Jamie would be highly rewarding for pupils to explore as they have some very powerful monologues. It would be particularly interesting to note the effect of someone's silence on those around them, and the desire we all feel to fix this and the loneliness felt by those left to fill the gaps. However, this could be a problematic proposal as a group exam piece due to the silence of Vin.