When the modern world rocks a small island, can the inhabitants rally together? Book a one-way trip to Tristan da Cunha, via the Young Vic.
Zinnie Harris’s Further than the Furthest Thing play follows an island community who face up to their past. They’ve lived peacefully for centuries, avoiding modern developments and a way of life that could corrupt their existence. But in 1961, a native outsider disrupts all ties to the land. What could happen when the “H’outside world” take over?
In a play all about home and community, Further than the Furthest Thing shows what it means to support one another. In a four-star review on London Theatre, "[the play] exists within the context of larger, impersonal forces — colonial misrule, for one thing — that flavours a play that may seem elusive at first but coalesces in the mind after the fact."
Harris was inspired to pen Further than the Furthest Thing to keep her mother's memories alive — she lived on Tristan da Cunha.
The play premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1999, followed by London performances at the National Theatre in 2001. Over two decades later, Jennifer Tang directs the play at the Young Vic, starring Jenna Russell.
Where is Tristan da Cunha?
Tristan da Cunha is a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It’s located approximately 2,000 miles off the coast of South Africa and is part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. The isolated island boasts a 300-strong population.