The LeftBehinds review – dystopian thriller finds the National Theatre firing on all cylinders

Lancaster Academy, Leicester
Ross Willis and Ned Bennett’s audacious adventure for schools is a cult in the making, with a post-apocalyptic plot, snappy gags and a trash-talking baby

This is a textbook example of how to approach theatre for schools. Its new touring production, reaching 10,000 secondary students, finds the National Theatre firing on all cylinders with a gripping, often side-splitting adventure that is sensitive to serious themes yet never cringey.

Ross Willis has written a post-apocalyptic quest stuffed with quotable lines, a cult in the making that crackles with the split-second retorts and abundant soul of his 2022 play Wonder Boy. Ned Bennett directs with customary audacity, jolting the story forwards for the school-hall audience. Jessica Hung Han Yun (lighting) and Giles Thomas (sound) meld a lurid atmosphere for Georgia Lowe’s set and costumes, an extravagant fusion of wild west, sci-fi, ancient Rome and chivalric romance. Yet, cleverly, the props are mostly modified gadgets and cuddly toys recognisable to the audience (it’s recommended for over-12s).