Parlour Song, a revival of Jez Butterworth's play at Greenwich Theatre, is set in an ordinary new-build estate and delves into complex themes of existential dread and unsettling urbanity. The three-character narrative focuses on Ned, a demolition expert, projecting his personal chaos onto his marriage with Joy and his friendship with neighbor Dale. The unsettling backdrop of rapid urbanization emphasizes decay and the powerlessness of humans to control both their lives and their environment, as reflected in vivid imagery of demolitions and the haunting persistence of nature.
"Ned, a successful demolition expert, feels his life collapsing while navigating complexities within his marriage and the absurdity of modern living on a site's past. He reflects, 'everything has its time,' indicating the transience of both life and structures."
"The production of Parlour Song draws attention to the absurdity of human attempts to control nature and replace it, evident in Ned’s unsettling encounter with nature's resilience, shown through the image of a rat in an identical show home."
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