A city. Just like this. Right now. A teenage girl boils up in rage in a toilet cubicle. A finance worker preaches doom in a busy train station. An absurd coke-addled celebrity races through town on a mission. A paranoid stoner stares blankly at the endless disasters on the TV news. In just one moment, all their worlds will end.
Multi award-winner Kieran Hurley weaves a picture of a familiar city at its moment of destruction, asking what would we do if we found ourselves at the end of our world as we know it.
2016 The Scotsman Fringe First award winner
Total Edinburgh Festival Fringe sell-out run
“The startlingly original presentation and powerful script make for a captivating play.” – Manchester Theatre Awards
“A clever piece of theatre.” – Quiet Man Dave
★★★★ “Extremely effective… I would fully recommend [it].” – North West End
“An exceptionally ambitious piece, both in form and content… The writing is exquisite: poetic and powerful, with every line/sentence honed to perfection. ” – Unrestricted Views
“Hurley’s artistic endeavours as a vocally agile narrator are evident enough.” – The Greater Manchester Reviewer
“An incredible rallying cry foretelling the end of the word… A highly accomplished piece of theatre-making – cleverly constructed and breathlessly delivered, with a message that rings out loud and clear.” – Circles & Stalls
“Kieran is a phenomenal performer who grips an audience for a whole hour without once faulting his words. Despite the fact that it is a solo show, it truly captures the essence of the era.” – I Love Manchester
“A lovely piece full of charm and whimsy.” – Live Art Alive
★★★★ “Superb storytelling theatre… Hurley’s new show is a quiet hurricane blowing through the city. It is anxious whisper that becomes a shout; a moment of silence that turns into the high-pitched whine of catastrophe.” – The Guardian
★★★★ “Acutely observed yet ferociously powerful storytelling… an absolute highlight of the Edinburgh Fringe.” – The Independent
★★★★ “Urgent, compelling, beautiful writing… confirms Hurley’s status as one of the most powerful writers to emerge in British theatre this decade.” – The Scotsman
★★★★ “Hurley finds somewhere new to go: not an ending, but a beginning. Offering hope through reconnection, Heads Up suggests that the end of our world – as inconceivable and terrifying as it seems – might just be necessary. It might be the start of a new one.” – What’s On Stage
“The startlingly original presentation and powerful script make for a captivating play.” – Manchester Theatre Awards
Directed by Julia Taudevin and Alex Swift. Music by Michael John McCarthy. As part of the Made In Scotland showcase 2016.