Courtenay Little Theatre presents "The Children

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Thursday, April 16th, 2026
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM

What do we owe the next generation?
Courtenay Little Theatre presents The Children by Lucy Kirkwood

Courtenay Little Theatre (CLT) presents The Children by Lucy Kirkwood, at the Sid Williams Theatre. Part mystery, part comedy, part eco-thriller, The Children asks: What do we owe the next generation?

Set in a little cottage on the coast of England, a married couple, Robin and Hazel, spend a pleasant summer evening with an old friend, Rose, after she shows up out of the blue. There’s plenty of drinking, eating, joking and arguing, even some dancing – standard reunion fare. But not all is as it seems. The three are retired nuclear engineers who worked together at the nearby Nuclear Power Station, which was recently hit by a Tsunami, causing a meltdown. The cottage is actually a temporary shelter; Robin and Hazel’s ruined home is located inside the exclusion zone. And Rose comes bearing secrets from the past and a challenging vision for the future.

Three old friends. A surprise reunion. One unsettling question.

The Children was nominated for a 2018 Tony Award for Best Play and won the 2019 UK Writer's Guild Award for Best New Play and the 2019 Australian Helpmann Award for Best Play. In 2019, writers for The Guardian Newspaper placed The Children third on a list of the greatest theatrical works since 2000.

The production features veteran CLT actors, Simon Easterman (Dracula), Erin Malin (Dracula, Myth of the Ostrich, The Shoplifters) and Ruthie Tilston (Humble Boy, The Ladies Foursome). Direction is by Catherine Hannon (Dracula, Hedda Gabler, The Drawer Boy) with sound design by Nate Schmold and lighting design by Patrick Emery.

Surprising, relatable, funny and moving, The Children will also represent CLT at the North Island Zone theatre festival in Nanaimo in May.