Simon Stephens’ A Slow Fire, staged in Jermyn Street Theatre’s basement, follows two men sheltering in a bunker after an unnamed global catastrophe. The review finds the Beckettian drama intelligent and thoughtfully performed, with its focus on memory, companionship and fragile hope giving it emotional resonance, but judges its dramatic momentum and tension insufficient.

Ross Gaynor and Ian Toner play Ashton and Reece, who re-enact treasured memories amid sparse surroundings, while evocative sound design suggests danger outside. Later arrivals, including an armed newcomer and a woman delivering a harrowing account of the world above, introduce genuine hope and threat; however, the reviewer says the plot remains too slight, silences impede pace and some environmental warnings are overly explicit. The production, directed by Rex Ryan, runs until 26 September.