⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

Created through a uniquely collaborative process between Adam Lenson (who also directs), Stu Barter (also responsible for music production), Rachel Bellman (also responsible for script supervision), Annabelle Lee Revak (also responsible for musical supervision), Darren Clark, and Shaye Poulton Richards, Precipice is an intriguing and innovative new musical exploring how humanity might persist in the face of crisis, chaos, and the end of the world as we know it.

The musical introduces us to a community living in the year 2425 in a tower block on the banks of the Thames in Greenwich, celebrating their 300th annual Founders Day. This marks the discovery of their building, a structure that somehow survived the total societal collapse in London, and the day their ancestors moved in. The actors directly address the audience, situating us as fellow tower-dwellers and drawing us deeper into the action. As part of the Founders Day celebrations, they share readings from the diary of a former resident from 2025: a text that has taken on near-religious significance, its entries serving as a cautionary tale.

Inhabiting the exact same flat 400 years apart, the characters’ stories unfold in parallel, using a similar structural device to the one in Standing at the Sky’s Edge. In 2425, residents worry about exceeding their tightly rationed electricity allowance whilst being unable to leave the tower due to the toxicity of the outside world. Meanwhile, in 2025, we follow a couple - one a civil servant working in flood defence and the other a biomedical scientist developing a new antibiotic amidst rising antibiotic resistance - who gradually realise just how dire the situation outside their flat has become. After a biomedical emergency triggers rapidly rising tides, citywide flooding, power failures, untreatable diseases, and the looming collapse of civilisation, their story becomes increasingly tense and urgent.

The concept behind Precipice feels genuinely original. It isn’t trying to be another crowd-pleasing, foot-tapping musical of the kind commonly found in London’s theatre scene: instead, it remains faithful to the severity of the characters’ predicament. The programme for the production includes a bibliography of artistic influences ranging from Black Mirror to Cabaret to Wall-E. Echoes of these diverse inspirations resonate throughout the production, and (especially in light of the shared experience of the Covid-19 lockdowns) the production’s potentially melodramatic, post-apocalyptic scenario instead feels eerily realistic and believable.

The ensemble cast of five talented actor-musicians (Max Alexander-Taylor as Biscuits, Holly Freeman as Emily/Zoe, Isabella Marshall as Maggie, Melinda Orengo as Piper, and Eric Stroud as Ash/Leo) excel at portraying the deeply human reactions to their characters’ dire circumstances. They capture their hope, denial, desperation, and rage with authenticity, whilst also providing accompaniment to the electro-folk score. This musical style, blending a futuristic sound with traditional storytelling, proves an inspired choice for this production. Alongside the songs, sound designer Mike Thacker for Orbital crafts a pulsating, atmospheric soundscape interspersed with voice recordings from the community’s founder in 2125 and news reports detailing the city’s rapid descent into chaos, which help to provide further context for the audience.

Designer Libby Todd’s set depicts a weathered, dirty, rusting, and moulding flat: a haunting remnant of a once-luxurious new-build. The design works brilliantly with Ben Jacobs’ lighting to evoke the futuristic setting: flickering yellow lamps; cool white light filtering through a wall of stockpiled water bottles; and stark red illumination when the electricity generator fails.

Though far from an uplifting watch, Precipice is a powerful and affecting one. Combining a bold concept, strong performances, and abundant creativity, Precipice stands out as a truly exciting new musical.

Precipice runs at New Diorama Theatre until 13th December 2025.

Tickets Available Here