Carthage, Finborough Theatre

For a first play, Carthage certainly doesn’t shy away from big questions. Chris Thompson’s debut promises to sink its teeth into meaty issues, exploring both the failings of systems that are intended to protect children from abuse and the complex nature of guilt and responsibility.

Blame is the name of the game in Carthage, in which everyone is trying to assess responsibility for the death of a young offender. Tommy Anderson started and ended his life in prison, spending most of the interim in care. Following his death, the question of whose fault it was still remains, as those who are left behind search for answers. Was it his prison guard, his social worker, or a care system that fails to live up to the promise of its name?

Thompson, who has spent the last ten years working as a social worker, brings a unique perspective to this subject matter. His first play is an attempt to grapple with some of the difficulties he has experienced throughout his career and to answer the troubling questions that dog the profession. How much good is it actually possible to do? When is it necessary to intervene? And at what point do you become responsible for the failings of the system?

As the latest Playwright on Attachment at the Finborough Theatre, Thompson joins the ranks of  This House writer  James Graham and Laura Wade, whose play Posh is currently being made into a new film starring Max Irons and Douglas Booth. Judging by previous successes and the personal experience he brings to his writing, we think Thompson could well be one to watch.

Tickets: £16, £14 concessions

Address and map:  118 Finborough Rd, London SW10 9ED  ‎

Nearest tube: West Brompton & Earls Court