World Premiere of The Dawn of Reckoning to Debut at White Bear Theatre This March.
London’s vibrant fringe theatre scene is set to welcome a compelling new drama this month as The Dawn of Reckoning, written by Mark Bastin and directed by Matthew Parker, premieres at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington from 17 to 28 March 2026.
Produced by MBA Productions, the intimate two-hander explores themes of friendship, regret, and the possibility of redemption later in life. Set against the quiet stillness of a hotel lounge in the early hours of the morning, the play reunites two former best friends whose lives diverged decades earlier.
At the centre of the story are Ruth and Helena, now both 65, who meet unexpectedly at 3am in the lounge bar of The Clevedon Hotel in Bayswater. Once inseparable during their university days, the two women could not have been more different. Helena, a fiercely independent paediatric neurosurgeon with a rebellious past, once embraced life as a sexually liberated punk spirit. Ruth, by contrast, grew up in the home counties and pursued a quieter path as a children’s book illustrator.
Their friendship fractured more than twenty-five years earlier, seemingly over the man each of them married at different points in their lives. What begins as a chance encounter gradually reveals deeper tensions and long-buried emotions, raising an unsettling question: was their meeting truly accidental?
Through sharp dialogue and moments of both humour and poignancy, The Dawn of Reckoning examines how people carry guilt, loss and unresolved conflict through the years. Bastin’s script asks whether reconciliation is possible when the hardest person to forgive may be oneself.
The production stars multi award-nominated actors Jilly Bond as Ruth and Bryonie Pritchard as Helena. Bond’s extensive stage career includes performances with the National Theatre, Birmingham Rep and The Lowry, as well as work for the BBC. Pritchard brings experience from leading venues including Shakespeare’s Globe, the Old Vic and the New Vic Theatre.
The play marks the latest work from writer Mark Bastin, whose previous play To Have and To Hold received critical acclaim and award nominations, earning five-star reviews from several theatre publications for its emotional depth and thoughtful writing.
Direction comes from Matthew Parker, an award-winning theatre-maker and former Artistic Director of The Hope Theatre. Parker’s career has included productions such as Bonding, Trestle, and I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical, as well as the acclaimed musical Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, which earned him the OFFIE Award for Best Director of a Musical in 2023. During his tenure at The Hope Theatre, Parker also received the OFFIE Award for Best Artistic Director in 2016.
Running for approximately 60 minutes without an interval, The Dawn of Reckoning will play Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm during its two-week run. Press Night is scheduled for Thursday 19 March at 7:30pm.
Tickets are priced at £17 full price and £13 concessions, with performances taking place at the White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ.
With its intimate setting, experienced cast, and emotionally layered writing, The Dawn of Reckoning promises a thoughtful and engaging addition to London’s spring theatre calendar.
