If you could live forever, would you choose to?
In the very near future, Alice and Jay decide to undergo a new form of gene therapy which will radically extend the length of their lives.
Life’s good. And you can’t get enough of a good thing, right?
Part sci-fi thriller, part relationship drama, Foreverland is a gripping story about the future of biotechnology, which asks what makes a good life, for this generation and the next.
They’re optimistic, hoping the decision will lead to perfect careers, the perfect relationship, and most of all, a perfect family.
Foreverland is by Emma Hemingford, whose previous play Flinch received numerous four-star reviews. Emma’s work has been shortlisted for multiple prizes and been performed across the UK.
Foreverland is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough in London where it plays until Saturday 19th October. We sat down with writer Emma Hemingford to learn more.
What can you tell me about FOREVERLAND?
FOREVERLAND is a dystopian drama set in a near future in which it has become possible to live forever. It follows a couple in their thirties, Jay and Alice, who decide to undergo treatment to radically extend the length of their lives. Part sci-fi thriller, part relationship drama, FOREVERLAND is a gripping story about the future of biotechnology, which asks what makes a good life, for this generation and the next. If you have enjoyed plays like Lungs or Constellations, or films like Ex Machina or Interstellar, then I think you’ll like this show.
Where did the inspiration for the piece come from?
I’ve always been fascinated by stories about eternal life. I think this is because the idea of dying and the idea of immortality terrify me in equal measure. Thinking about what scares you is a good place to start when you’re looking for inspiration! When I was younger the main way this interest manifested was in reading about the immortal Greek gods and goddesses. More recently, however, I started noticing lots of news stories about the boom of investment into life-extension science by Silicon Valley billionaires. I was shocked to read about gene therapy performed on animals that caused them to biologically ‘age backward’ or successfully extended their life-spans by 25%. The more I read, the more it seemed to me that for the first time in human history, immortality was moving from the realm of myth into the realm of medical possibility. What might this mean for the world, socially, ethically and politically? And then I wanted to write a play…
Do you have a specific audience in mind when you are writing a piece?
I hope that what is interesting about FOREVERLAND is that despite its sci-fi premise, there is something deeply, universally relatable at the heart of it. We have all wanted more time; we have all reckoned with our mortality; and we all have a gut response to the question: ‘Would you like to live forever?’ So, I think anyone could enjoy it. But one thing I am particularly interested in is encouraging an inter-generational audience to share the space. There is a family at the heart of the story, and the show raises questions about the value of aging, and about how our actions today might shape the lives of future generations. I think it would be exciting for older and younger people to be in conversation about this.
What research did you do whilst developing the idea for the show?
I did so much research into the science behind FOREVERLAND. I never thought I’d try to understand a biological process again after I finished my GCSEs, but it was important to me to create a world that felt real, and I was surprised by how interesting I found it all. Primarily I focused on medical ethics and the philosophy of life-extension medicine, which is more my speed than hard-core biology and chemistry. But for anyone who wants a great introduction to the real world science that underpins the show, there is an issue of the MIT Technology Review called ‘The Longevity Issue - Old Age Is Over’ which brilliantly summarises some of the latest discoveries in the ‘curing death’ field of medicine.
Other than the writing how involved with the creative process do you get?
I’ve been pretty involved in choosing the cast and in all the creative discussions we’ve had about the show – for example, about set design and costume. It’s hard to let go of something you’ve worked on for years – but theatre is a collaborative art form at heart, and a show is always at its best when multiple talented people have space to contribute. I’m fortunate to have an amazing creative team working on FOREVERLAND.
How did you get into writing?
Hmm, that’s a big one. I’ve always written things. It was my first passion I think. I used to love writing long books of poems, and I also remember writing an EXTREMELY long book about the care of rabbits when I wanted to convince my parents to buy me a pet. After that I studied English at university and then went to drama school, which is how I got into writing plays. I guess I like writing because I like reading. Stories can change your mind and break your heart and consume you entirely. Nowadays, I find writing more stressful and difficult that I used to, because it’s my job – but I still always come back to wanting to express myself through words.
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
I want to avoid telling an audience how they should feel about the story, so I will evade this by saying I hope they come away with more questions rather than answers. I hope the show encourages people to ask themselves: what does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to love someone?
Where can audiences see FOREVERLAND?
Foreverland is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 19 October. I hope to see you there.
FOREVERLAND by Emma Hemingford runs at Southwark Playhouse from 2nd – 19th October 2024. Tickets are available from https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/foreverland
FOREVERLAND is a dystopian drama set in a near future in which it has become possible to live forever. It follows a couple in their thirties, Jay and Alice, who decide to undergo treatment to radically extend the length of their lives. Part sci-fi thriller, part relationship drama, FOREVERLAND is a gripping story about the future of biotechnology, which asks what makes a good life, for this generation and the next. If you have enjoyed plays like Lungs or Constellations, or films like Ex Machina or Interstellar, then I think you’ll like this show.
Where did the inspiration for the piece come from?
I’ve always been fascinated by stories about eternal life. I think this is because the idea of dying and the idea of immortality terrify me in equal measure. Thinking about what scares you is a good place to start when you’re looking for inspiration! When I was younger the main way this interest manifested was in reading about the immortal Greek gods and goddesses. More recently, however, I started noticing lots of news stories about the boom of investment into life-extension science by Silicon Valley billionaires. I was shocked to read about gene therapy performed on animals that caused them to biologically ‘age backward’ or successfully extended their life-spans by 25%. The more I read, the more it seemed to me that for the first time in human history, immortality was moving from the realm of myth into the realm of medical possibility. What might this mean for the world, socially, ethically and politically? And then I wanted to write a play…
Do you have a specific audience in mind when you are writing a piece?
I hope that what is interesting about FOREVERLAND is that despite its sci-fi premise, there is something deeply, universally relatable at the heart of it. We have all wanted more time; we have all reckoned with our mortality; and we all have a gut response to the question: ‘Would you like to live forever?’ So, I think anyone could enjoy it. But one thing I am particularly interested in is encouraging an inter-generational audience to share the space. There is a family at the heart of the story, and the show raises questions about the value of aging, and about how our actions today might shape the lives of future generations. I think it would be exciting for older and younger people to be in conversation about this.
What research did you do whilst developing the idea for the show?
I did so much research into the science behind FOREVERLAND. I never thought I’d try to understand a biological process again after I finished my GCSEs, but it was important to me to create a world that felt real, and I was surprised by how interesting I found it all. Primarily I focused on medical ethics and the philosophy of life-extension medicine, which is more my speed than hard-core biology and chemistry. But for anyone who wants a great introduction to the real world science that underpins the show, there is an issue of the MIT Technology Review called ‘The Longevity Issue - Old Age Is Over’ which brilliantly summarises some of the latest discoveries in the ‘curing death’ field of medicine.
Other than the writing how involved with the creative process do you get?
I’ve been pretty involved in choosing the cast and in all the creative discussions we’ve had about the show – for example, about set design and costume. It’s hard to let go of something you’ve worked on for years – but theatre is a collaborative art form at heart, and a show is always at its best when multiple talented people have space to contribute. I’m fortunate to have an amazing creative team working on FOREVERLAND.
How did you get into writing?
Hmm, that’s a big one. I’ve always written things. It was my first passion I think. I used to love writing long books of poems, and I also remember writing an EXTREMELY long book about the care of rabbits when I wanted to convince my parents to buy me a pet. After that I studied English at university and then went to drama school, which is how I got into writing plays. I guess I like writing because I like reading. Stories can change your mind and break your heart and consume you entirely. Nowadays, I find writing more stressful and difficult that I used to, because it’s my job – but I still always come back to wanting to express myself through words.
What do you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
I want to avoid telling an audience how they should feel about the story, so I will evade this by saying I hope they come away with more questions rather than answers. I hope the show encourages people to ask themselves: what does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to love someone?
Where can audiences see FOREVERLAND?
Foreverland is playing at Southwark Playhouse Borough until 19 October. I hope to see you there.
FOREVERLAND by Emma Hemingford runs at Southwark Playhouse from 2nd – 19th October 2024. Tickets are available from https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/foreverland
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