A cutting shrine to an England that never existed, Death of England, examines tormented, terrified masculinity in the wake of a father’s death. Clint Dyer and Roy Williams (Co-Writers) do an excellent job in using this timely confession to muddy the waters of an increasingly polarised world.

Courtesy of Helen Murray.

Roy Williams’ new version of Sophocles’ ancient tale of familial warfare and hubris is brought to Theatre Royal Stratford East after touring the UK at the end of 2014. With this re-telling of Antigone, a story that has been told thousands of times in the last 2,500 years, Roy Williams sheds new light on an old problem. Just how much are we willing to stand up for what we believe in? How far should we go to protect our honour, or that of our family? This is what Williams addresses in a bleak, filthy Thebes where soldiers are “fam” and gangland rivalries are all that matter.

With policing procedures such as the Stop and Search principle coming under fire for its discriminative nature; the reputation of the police force has become questionable. Post 2011, and incidents such as the causation of the London Riots and revelations over the true events of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 have only further unearthed a darker and corrupt aspect to an organisation purposed in protecting the lives of civilians…

© Robert Day