The 30th instalment of Reading Theatre with Science takes place on 25 March, at 6:00 pm, at Bruáa (Convento São Francisco).

The text to be read is ‘The Children’ (Lucy Kirkwood), set in a small cottage on the east coast, where Hazel and Robin, two retired nuclear scientists in their mid-sixties, are living. A recent disaster at the local power station where they used to work has devastated the area and they live under the threat of radiation pollution. Electricity and water are rationed and they keep a Geiger counter to check for signs of radiation. However, Hazel is determined to preserve some semblance of normality and live the healthiest life she possibly can. So, Robin now farms, while Hazel practises yoga and devours salad. But when Rose, a former colleague whom they haven’t seen for 38 years, suddenly turns up, she disrupts their precariously ordered existence. Rose is determined that they must fix the problems they have caused for the next generation, even if it means certain death. Exploring issues of accountability, guilt, and morality, Lucy Kirkwood’s three-hander presents a very real, post-nuclear world.

Anyone interested in participating in this meeting, either reading or just watching, need only register by sending an email to: ler@marioneteatro.com

As always, the text has been translated into Portuguese as part of the Collaborative Translation Project, and the original version is available for consultation or loan at the Centre for Documentation in Performing Arts and Science.