The Sea

This funny yet chilling play is set in a small town on the eastern coast of England in 1907. During a tempestuous storm, friends Willy and Colin’s boat is knocked over at sea, and Willy desperately cries out for help. Although shouts can be heard on the shore, no one comes to their rescue. Colin, a young local, drowns, while his friend manages to save himself. The tragic event unsettles the townsmen, but it soon turns out that in this stuffy and insular community, everyone looks out only for themselves. They all live in constant fear of the unknown and resist any kind of change. All the time, the wealthy and domineering Mrs. Rafi literally runs roughshod over people. Hatch, a merchant who is threatened with destitution due to her exploitative and capricious behaviour, is losing his mind. He is obsessed with the idea that our world is being attacked by extra-terrestrial beings who want to destroy us. All humanity is draining from him, and he is increasingly turning into a wild beast. However, despite the gloomy atmosphere, Evens, a wise old man—a drunkard and outcast who is the only one living in harmony with nature—encourages Willy, telling him that despite the apparent hopelessness, one should not lose hope.

Edward Bond described his play The Sea as "a comedy that explores the issue of whether it is possible to change the world". Although it was written a while ago, the events in the small town are strikingly similar to the lives we lead today. People are no longer connected to one another, so we are becoming insensitive and increasingly indifferent to others. The sea has a dual meaning in the play: on the one hand, it is a raw force that sometimes whispers and sometimes roars, sometimes soothes and sometimes threatens, and as it is so unpredictable, it instils fear in people; on the other hand, it washes things away and has a purifying effect, is always new, and a symbol of hope.

Edward Bond (1934–2024), a controversial British playwright, director, poet, theatre theorist, and screenwriter, wrote around 50 complex plays. Among them are several that caused quite a stir. His play Saved (1965) drew the most outrage; it was staged at the Ljubljana City Theatre in 1997. The Sea premiered in 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, while the first Slovenian production was staged at the SNT Drama Ljubljana in 1979, directed by Mile Korun.

Jure Srdinšek (1999) is a theatre director of the youngest generation. He first drew attention to himself while still a student, with his production of Manca Lipoglavšek’s Freezing (2022) and Eugène Ionesco’s The Lesson (2023). He received the Zlatolaska national student award for directing The Ruined (2023). As an assistant director, he has collaborated on several productions in various Slovenian theatres, co-created staged readings of contemporary Slovenian plays, and directed and mentored numerous youth productions. In 2024, he directed The Mermaid by Nina Kuclar Stiković at Mini Theatre.