Just the attempt to stage John Wyndham’s 1951 novel The Day of the Triffids is a bold enterprise in itself. The titular triffids are seven-foot-tall carnivorous plants. That’s played for comedic effect in Little Shop of Horrors, but Wyndham was sincere.

So this production, adapted and directed by Jay James-Moody for the New Theatre, announces its ambition simply by the fact of its existence. Making it even more difficult for himself, James-Moody largely follows the complex narrative of the novel, resulting in a two-hour production without an interval on opening night.

Umai Shantharajah and James Collins in New Theatre’s The Day of the Triffids. Photo © Chris Lundie

In Triffids, the protagonist Bill Masen (James Collins) survives a meteor storm or satellite weapon that blinds most of the planet’s population, then bumps through a picaresque series of abortive attempts to maintain or abandon society. Meanwhile, the Soviet-engineered triffids (farmed for their nutrients and oils) begin to stalk the remaining humans across the ruins of London and England’s pleasant pastures.

Although James-Moody throws a fair bit of schlock and comedy into the works, making heavy use of projected media, a directional sound system, and classic green lighting and fog, this production is respectful of its material. He acknowledges the inevitable campiness of Triffids’ conceit without dismissing the weight behind it.

The devices, while appropriately low-budget, are effective. The triffids are represented offstage, rather than by actors dressed as shambling mounds, which is a wise and effective decision. The horror is palpable nonetheless. Lighting by Holly Nesbitt is exceptional, and sound designer Aubtin Namdar plays a crucial role in the production’s success.

Not every directorial decision is well made, and some fail in the execution. The ambition was perhaps too great here, but it can’t be said that James-Moody plays it safe. Some of the simplest decisions are the most effective. Staging Triffids in the round lends itself to both chaotically expansive and claustrophobic scenes, for example.

Max Ryan in New Theatre’s The Day of the Triffids. Photo © Chris Lundie

The cast are largely equal to their challenging roles, including numerous changes of character and accent. James Collins’ Masen is a strong anchor, and, in general, the performances are committed and high-energy.

The conventions of post-apocalyptic fiction are by now very familiar – the opening sequence of 28 Days Later was lifted from Triffids – but Wyndham’s novel occupies a curious place in time and culture. Unlike much post-war science fiction, it concerns itself not with the horrors of the atomic age, nor the mysteries that space exploration will uncover, but with Britain’s decline.

The apocalypse here is the Cold War, the growth of industrial biochemistry, the overhaul of social mores and roles, and the limits of human control over the environment. The triffids are simply the nightmare manifestations of those phenomena.

It’s an interesting companion piece to its contemporary The Birds, published by Daphne du Maurier in 1952, as well as Belvoir’s recent production of that novella. Its concerns, while very much filtered through the era in which Wyndham was writing, remain relevant today. And while it’s weighty enough, the B-movie vibes ensure it’s a fun night.

Day of the Triffids plays at the New Theatre, Newtown, until July 25.