Too Much World at Once

'We should've seen this coming. We did. We did see this coming. The world will not be kind to us because we haven't given it a reason to be.'

On his fifteenth birthday, Noble transforms into a bird. Thousands of miles away, his sister Cleo is stationed on a remote island with the British Antarctic Survey.

But the birds have disappeared and Noble needs to reach her. Lying low until it's safe to take flight, he finds solace in misfit Ellis, while his mum desperately tries to stop their home from falling apart.

The world turns. Dark clouds gather. Chaos is on the horizon...

Billie Collins's play Too Much World at Once is an urgent coming-of-age story for our times - and a lyrical, theatrical journey that spans continents and lives. It was premiered at HOME, Manchester, in March 2023 by Box of Tricks Theatre before a UK tour.

'A timely, richly theatrical piece that straddles the intimate and the epic with ease... an impressive debut... heartbreakingly believable, with a welcome mix of light and shade to the story' - The Stage

'Challenging but rewarding... A coming-of-age play with a difference... a full-on environmental call to arms... a remarkable achievement' - Reviews Hub

'Quirky yet beautiful... an unusual take on a coming-of-age story that is wonderfully told with a beautiful simplicity' - West End Best Friend