Up in his heaven sits God (Lidia Bäck), a screaming wimp, together with his only company, the evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin, both dressed in white with long gray beards and dreadlocks. God no longer hears people’s prayers and does not know if it is because they are not heard or that they no longer pray. In any case, God no longer feels needed, he feels inadequate. Until CNN’s Breaking News shows the lonely cyborgs who happen to say “So help me God”. It makes God act. This is where help will be found.
The Earth in 2017 is being recreated with people of flesh and blood, although they are aware, unlike us, that only 16 years remain until the destruction, when the Earth will collide with an asteroid, but they live on as if nothing happened. Here, of course, Adam (Martin Bahne) meets his Eva (Iida Kuningas) via Tinder. Intense sex leads to both cohabitation and unwanted pregnancy – at least on Eva’s part. But she struggles, tries to get time for mental health care and continues to vlog and broadcast training tips live, now for pregnant women. The father-to-be, in turn, sits in the pub with his friend Knausgård and doubts himself.
In the middle of it all, the water breaks, David (Lidia Bäck) is born and develops from a small six-year-old with separation anxiety at preschool to a tough body-obsessed teenager who likes to mirror himself and thinks he is immortal. He is ashamed of his father who convulsively tries to be a cool daddy with the same style of clothing as his son and realizes his big dream of becoming a DJ in the style of his idol David Guetta. But is David God? And how does it really go when the asteroid finally comes?
Fabian Silén’s twisted science fiction performance is in good hands with the director duo Fredrik Lundqvist and Joséphine Wistedt from Västerås-based 4th Theatre. Paola Guzman Figuerosa’s set design is just as unbridled, built around white boxes, and Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila’s equally white costumes. Atte Pukero’s light and Theo af Enehielm’s light complete the visual extraterrestrial experience. Most of all, however, you are impressed by all the acting performances that tear down several bursts of laughter, and finally, we get a sample of Lidia Bäck’s wonderfully expressive singing voice.
Actor Fabian Silén made his debut as a playwright two years ago with the Antonia Prize-nominated Felix’s life , which Teater Mestola then staged on the Nicken stage. Although it touched me more, Silén shows here again that he is definitely a playwright to be reckoned with in the future. The question is whether he is also a seer? Anyone who lives in 16 years will see.