On The Edge

On The Edge, a new play by Philip Morgan, runs at The Lantern Theatre from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October. It's a two-hander, which means just two actors on stage for the whole thing, and Morgan describes it as a darkly comic piece. The story centres on Tom, a nineteen-year-old ex-sex worker who used to live on the street and is now a novice social worker, keen to move away from his past. Frank is a seventy-five-year-old who wanders into Tom's homeless unit—eccentric, belligerent, and terminally ill. The play puts the two of them in a room together and lets them go at it.

It's a small cast and a tight focus, so the whole thing rests on the chemistry between those two characters. With Tom on one end of the age gap and Frank on the other, and both of them coming from very different places, the comedy comes from the friction between them. It's a short run, so if you're going to catch it, you'll need to pick a night and stick to it.

The show runs for 70 minutes, which is a good length for a mid-week evening. It's recommended for ages 14 and over, and there are a few content warnings to keep in mind: strong language, and references to sexual abuse and terminal illness. Those aren't just background details—they're right at the heart of where the two characters are coming from, so they're worth knowing before you go in.

As for the practicals, it's on from 19:30 on Thursday 15, Friday 16, and Saturday 17 October, with a slightly earlier start of 18:00 on Sunday 18. Tickets are £12.00, and The Lantern Theatre is at 77 St James's Street, BN2 1PA.