We Had a World Review: A Play Unraveling Mother‑Grandmother Tensions

Lead: A Quiet Examination of Family Fractures

In We Had a World, Harmon traces the shifting, sinking relationship between a mother and her mother, using the protagonist Josh as the emotional fulcrum that forces both women to confront long‑standing grievances.

Exploring the Intergenerational Conflict on Stage

The play centres on Renee (played by Suzanne Bertish) and her daughter Ellen (portrayed by Anna Francolini). Bertish’s performance oscillates between generosity and petulance, while Francolini delivers a sharp, stubborn yet loving portrait of a mother whose affection is tangled with expectation.

Performance Highlights and Character Dynamics

• Ryan Kopel as Josh provides the audience’s entry point, his sincere delivery grounding the emotional turbulence.
• The trio’s interactions often feel like a mediated therapy session, with Josh acting as a facilitator between the two women.
• The script’s pace occasionally stutters as arguments swell, yet moments of tentative hope surface when the characters attempt reconciliation.

Staging Choices and Symbolic Set Design

Director Josh Seymour employs a minimalist set featuring an ice cube melting on a plinth—a visual echo of Josh’s museum‑going past with his grandmother and a subtle nod to the climate crisis. This prop underscores the central theme that “nothing lasts forever.”

Critical Perspective and Audience Outlook

While the production’s pacing can feel sedate, its strength lies in the precise, almost scientific observation of familial dynamics. The play invites audiences to reflect on their own intergenerational tensions, making it a resonant, if understated, theatrical experience.

Practical Details

Running at Hampstead Theatre, London until 4 July 2026.