The War of the Worlds follows Meena, a podcast journalist investigating the legacy of Orson Welles’ infamous 1938 radio broadcast, which caused some listeners to believe that an alien invasion was actually taking place.

The play moves between the 1938 broadcast and 2016 present day. Meena travels to Grover’s Mill, New Jersey, to investigate the story of Margaret, a woman whose family allegedly abandoned her for 24 hours after believing the broadcast was real. Margaret’s son, Nick, has grown up with this version of events and initially agrees to share his family’s story for Meena’s podcast.

However, as Meena investigates further with Margaret’s family, different versions of the truth begin to emerge, and a familiar truth is unravelling in front of her. 

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The 1938 broadcast acts as a mirror for the modern world: people don’t necessarily believe something because it is true; they believe it because it is convincing, because someone they trust tells them, or because they desperately want to believe it.

Creative team:
Director: Phoebe Benson
Assistant Director: Aouda Ketrouci