Set in north London in 2016 – the year of ‘that’ referendum, this deeply personal play’s two on-stage characters have other things on the forefront of their minds. Alfie (Clive Owen) recollects in almost excruciating detail the victory his beloved football team, West Ham United, enjoyed over Manchester United at the final match held at the Boleyn Ground on 10 May that year. Of course, like many West Ham supporters, he always called it Upton Park. His partner Julie (Saskia Reeves), a writer, wants to write her memoirs. Except she never calls it her memoirs, and an almost exasperated Alfie wants to know, “Why do you want to write about us?”
I can understand where he’s coming from – there must surely be more interesting subjects for a book than oneself, particularly if there isn’t a triumph over significant adversity narrative going on. For Julie, however, there is something substantial: Alfie is a disc jockey who doesn’t jockey discs anymore on account of a progressively worsening cancer. He’s not ‘terminal’, but he wants to cease treatment. Julie wants him to fight on. Cue predictable dramatic tension.
Well, it’s predictable up to a point, that point being a piece of family news that Julie drops late in the conversation – this is a one-act play that takes place more or less in real time – that effectively forces Alfie to re-evaluate his future course of action, or inaction. The ninety-five minute running time felt considerably shorter, which is always a good thing, in the sense that it is better to leave the theatre wanting more than it is to be relieved the show is finally over.
End is, frankly, a somewhat unimaginative title for the final part of a trilogy whose two other parts are respectively Beginning and Middle. It is not necessary to have seen them in any particular order, or indeed to have seen the other two at all to understand what’s going on – each of the plays features a different couple (Danny and Laura in Beginning, Gary and Maggie in Middle) and each is meant to be understood as a standalone play.
Here, the ‘end’ in question refers to the end of the relationship, and in this regard the characters’ ages are somewhat irrelevant, although Alfie and Julie having been together for some decades gives the story some gravitas, and justifies the eclectic musical choices that sprinkle the dialogue. These comprise possible songs to be played at Alfie’s funeral: “I don’t want any of that John Lennon ‘Imagine’ bollocks!” He doesn’t exactly go for ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ either, but the look on Julie’s face at some of his selections was quite priceless.
As it was pointed out to me before the show started, Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves had previously featured in the 1991 motion picture Close My Eyes, apparently playing incestuous siblings (I say ‘apparently’, because I don’t intend to find out for myself: I have better things to do). It’s a piece of trivia I only retain in my memory thanks to – if you will allow me to tell it like it is – a shag on the sofa in this play, which could be the last time for them, or to put it another way (wait for it) the end.
The narrative structure might be too contrived for some: surely, if they’ve been together for this long, they must be able to see right through one another without the sort of jaw-dropping revelations that only tend to come to light in plays where characters who haven’t had a proper conversation in years or even decades are suddenly forced, one way or another, to spend an extended period of time together. For me, this ultimately didn’t matter, and I’d much rather have a storyline that is easy to follow than an impenetrable one any day of the week. And I was grateful for a new play that departed from the now commonplace time-hopping back and forth between the past and the present. The set (Gary McCann) was suitably elaborate, to the point where the audience could even smell what Julie was cooking in a fully fitted kitchen. Overall, a thoughtful and poignant experience.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Every love story has a final chapter.
Alfie and Julie’s love story has been one of music, laughter and heartache. On one early morning in June, they must write their ending.
Alfie – Clive Owen
Julie – Saskia Reeves
Director – Rachel O’Riordan
Set and Costume Designer – Gary McCann
Lighting Designer – Sally Ferguson
Sound Designer – Donato Wharton
Intimacy Director – Bethan Clark
Casting – Alastair Coomer CDG
Dialect Coach – Patricia Logue
Voice Coach – Cathleen McCarron
Associate Sound Designer – Nick Mann
Staff Director – Philip J Morris
END
A new play by David Eldridge
National Theatre
13 November 2025 to 17 January 2026
