_{Cover Image: So It Comes to Dust. Image by Thomas Earnshaw.}

So It Comes to Dust

Written and directed by Evan Rickman

The Blue Room Theatre

28 July to 15 August, 2026

Is war really kill or be killed? Are those who kill really doing it for their country? And are our countries really worth killing for? These are the questions So It Comes to Dust poses as it unravels war’s passage across time and through the minds of those caught within it. Created by writer and director Evan Rickman, who previously presented Where Water Once Was at The Blue Room Theatre, the work explores the insecurities of four soldiers, each brought to the front lines by different fates in the Studio of The Blue Room Theatre.

Rickman’s writing and Emily McLean’s dramaturgy are incredibly sophisticated; the purposeful momentum and interiority of the monologues feel Shakespearean without seeming out of place in a contemporary setting. The inevitability of war, and the growing sense of guilt and destruction, is reminiscent of Macbeth, offering perhaps a timely reminder that once our hands are dirty, they may never be clean again.

The main ensemble, comprising Lukas Perez, Marshall Brown, Oliver Hughes and Summer Rose Rule, is sent off alone to defend their homeland against an unknown military force. As in any locked-in-a-room scenario, the troupe’s friendly demeanour deteriorates as truths are uncovered and morals are tested. Oliver Hughes’ portrayal of the overzealous soldier was particularly powerful and all too real. Summer Rose Rule also delivered an emotionally engaging performance, demonstrating range from anger to the naivety of privilege as they navigated the group’s motivations.

Observing the recruits’ dynamic unfold, and shifting the fabric of time, were the Watcher, played by John Shrimpton, and the Waiter, played by Jo Wyndham. Their performances were unnerving as they writhed around the stage, leaving the audience unsure whether their intentions were good or evil. Shrimpton’s voice filled the room in a way that felt as though it had no origin but had materialised from the room itself.

The stage and costumes by Ruby Trevor-Mills are raggedly evocative of the windswept desert in which the scene takes place. The subtle changes to the Watcher and Waiter’s costumes allow them to waver between human and non-human, pulling the audience into their ghostly world. Combined with lighting by Hayley Smith and sound by Lachlan Ives, the design establishes the desolation of the scene and invites audiences to experience it themselves. The atmospheric soundscape of windswept dunes and rainy jungles was evocative of these environments, but isolated moments of sound, such as the winding of music boxes being far louder than the dialogue, pulled me out of the carefully crafted atmosphere.

So It Comes to Dust shows immense care and purpose in its creation. The result is a work that invites audiences to discover and diagnose the characters on their own terms rather than simply criticising them. It is challenging and thought-provoking, perfect for those who wish to exercise their critical thinking without a deep sense of discomfort.

So It Comes to Dust runs until 15 August and is well worth seeing. Book here.