Pomona - reviews of 'brilliant' new dystopian drama

What you need to know

Alistair McDowall's new dystopian drama Pomona has opened at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond. Ned Bennett directs the urban sci-fi thriller by 27-year-old McDowall, best known for Talk Show at the Royal Court and Brilliant Adventures at the Royal Exchange.

The story focuses on a young woman called Ollie who is searching for her missing sister when she discovers Pomona, a mysterious abandoned industrial island in the heart of Manchester. With the help of oddball tycoon Zeppo, she discovers the secrets lurking in the city's dark underbelly. Runs until 13 December.

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What the critics like

McDowall, "an exceptionally talented and fast-rising writer, plays an intriguing game with this dystopian drama", says Kate Bassett in The Times. The sinister, teasing maze, incorporating gaming, mafia thrillers and sci-fi, is arrestingly idiosyncratic and unpredictable and has an atmosphere of apocalyptic menace, yet it's shot through with flashes of irresistibly cheeky comic relief.

McDowall's "bruising, brilliant play" presents a surreal vision of the vacuousness of the modern world, as well as its extraordinary, mythic possibilities, says Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard. With cleverly fractured storytelling and meaty performances, Pomona's nightmarish allure has the power to suck us in.

McDowall's "creepy, complex thriller" is a lushly plotted, intricate piece of rings and roundabouts, unexpected turns and half-real conclusions, says Miriam Zendle on What's On Stage. Seriously dark but studded with numerous laugh-out-loud moments, its strong, winding structure will keep you guessing until the end.

What they don't like

This unnerving mix of urban nightmare and sci-fi thriller is "bleakly pessimistic", presenting a world where our solitary lives continue in a meaningless loop of pain and suffering, says Michael Billington in The Guardian. The horror-story format is not ideal as a vehicle for serious ideas, but the play is undeniably gripping and was rapturously received by its young audience.