At a time when so much of our public discourse feels defined by division, certainty, and dread, what happens when two people with completely different visions of the truth are brought together? What happens, in other words, when belief and science meet in the forest?
These are some of the questions simmering at the core of 855-FOR-TRUTH, a new play by English-Irish writer Eva Hudson, arriving on the Brussels stage this June. The story, the setting, and the questions it raises linger long after the curtain falls.
Set “somewhere in the woods” during a time close to collapse, 855-FOR-TRUTH brings together Meredith, an 18-year-old raised in a Christian cult convinced the world will end in six days, and Isaac, a young environmentalist clinging to data as the last thread of control. Their exchange is simple, human, and increasingly urgent — a tender exploration of what it means to believe anything at all.
The production, directed by Lydia McKinley, takes place at The Berger Court in Stassart House — a former conservatory of music turned artistic hub, its faded grandeur echoing the play’s themes of collapse and transformation. The venue, steeped in history, seems an apt choice for a story about what we inherit and what we resist. That it is being staged by The Bridge Theatre — Brussels’ professional English-language theatre, known for productions in unusual spaces — makes perfect sense.
Theatre has always been a place for questions — but lately, the questions feel sharper. There is a growing appetite for stories that can hold multiple truths, that allow contradiction to exist without resolution. In that sense, 855-FOR-TRUTH isn’t just timely; it is necessary.
"Choosing which piece of theatre to produce is no simple task. First, you need to know your audience and what they might enjoy. Then you have to find a piece that resonates deeply. You have to be confident that the end result will be something you are proud of and that contributes to making our world better," says Edward McMillan, Founder and Artistic Director of The Bridge Theatre.
"855-FOR-TRUTH fulfils both of these criteria. It is a piece I have been following for some time, first presented to me by the director of our Brussels production, Lydia McKinley, back in September 2023. Not only did the premise excite me, but I immediately found the writing engaging, truthful, and funny."
The play, first produced in London in a small venue above a pub, is now being given its first major staging — a world premiere, in fact — thanks to a co-production between The Bridge Theatre and Hudson’s and McKinley’s Gentlewomen Production House. This time McKinley directs a renewed version of Hudson’s script, further elevating its lyrical writing and emotional complexity.
The cast brings something rare. Molly Hanly, fresh from a breakout performance at Ireland’s Abbey Theatre, plays Meredith with quiet intensity and a sharp emotional range. Opposite her is Max Raphael as Isaac, whose screen credits include The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Black Beauty. On stage, Raphael brings a raw vulnerability that makes his character’s certainty feel increasingly fragile.
Max Raphael. Credit: Robert Grooms.
What makes 855-FOR-TRUTH most compelling is its refusal to offer easy answers. In a culture addicted to hot takes and definitive stances, it opts instead for ambiguity — for listening. For watching two people try, and fail, and try again to understand one another.
Brussels, with its layered identities, feels like a fitting place for such a play. The Bridge Theatre, now in its fifth year, has positioned itself as a home for exactly this kind of thoughtful, relevant work.
"It’s a story by young people about young people, about the world we face today and how we can overcome differences. It’s a story that deserves to be heard, and we are excited to bring it to our multilingual Brussels audience," says McMillan.
Each of The Bridge Theatre’s productions is staged in a new part of the city, using the venue not just as a container, but as an active ingredient of the overall experience.
In many ways, The Bridge Theatre isn’t just about theatre at all. It is about creating spaces — physical, emotional, and cultural — where people connect across differences. Through its shows, workshops, training courses, school programmes, and community events, it is weaving a thread through the city’s fragmented cultural fabric.
After selected performances of 855-FOR-TRUTH, audiences are invited to stay for Post-Show Talks, where guest speakers reflect on the play’s central theme: Finding Connection in a Polarised World. These are conversations with community builders and the audience, not just about theatre, but about the world outside — about what we can do once the stories are over.
Because in the end, 855-FOR-TRUTH is not really about sects or science. It is not about the end of the world, or even about who is right. It is about something more fragile — and maybe more urgent: the possibility of true connection when it seems most impossible.
And isn’t that what theatre has always tried to do?
855-FOR-TRUTH
2–14 June 2025
Berger Court, Stassart House, Brussels
Presented by The Bridge Theatre in co-production with Gentlewomen Production House
More info on the website: thebridge.brussels/855-FOR-TRUTH
