From the start, the three characters that welcome you to this show about death are filled with an energy and hilarity that captures the audience and holds them until the end. Predominantly a comedy, the play also explores the tragic side of death: the main character, David, expertly played by Viktor Lukawski, leaves a mother (Nessa Rey) and pregnant wife (Charlotte Dubery) behind at the early age of 32.
The audience gets a look at David’s life growing up, as well as the paperwork that takes over whilst he is still in afterlife limbo. The three women that work in the afterworld all double in the ‘real’ world as the mother, wife and a nurse (Gwenelle Mendonça). The ensemble of four actors is superb and they manage to convey both wit and a touch of sadness.
The acting is exaggerated and stereotypes are made fun of in a way that entertained the entire crowd. The characters in the afterlife, the depiction of David’s awkward late teenage years in the 80s and a fantastic dance score by the whole ensemble kept the laughter going.Use of sounds and set design was put to good use. Somewhat peculiarly, despite the title gardening isn’t mentioned at all and doesn’t play any role within the production.
The only problem with the show is that it ended too abruptly. David’s final death felt it should be the start of something even more exaggerated and grotesque in the afterlife, instead of just being the end of the show. It is, on the other hand, a work in progress and it is very intriguing to see what this talented bunch will do with it.
