Living with the Dead, a new play by Cosette Bolt, at Augustine Church Theatre, is Not So Nice Theatre's latest production. Kris is the ‘rookie’ at Storm Funeral Home and Crematorium. She has six bodies to prepare for their final send off. To set expectations, the play is not a ghost or horror story, but shows us episodes from the lives of the six dead characters. The five female stories have family friction in common, and frictions range from the everyday – Christmas arrangements, job interviews – to life-changing or cataclysmic events. The story of the male character takes a different turn…
Moves from the dramatic plains to the dramatic heights
The effect is rather a mixed bag; there is no discernible connection between the six characters other than the mortuary, and although death is presented as the play’s key theme, three of the character tales could be lifted from ongoing TV soap operas.
On the much-to-the-credit side, however, the tale of ‘Skanky Sandy’ and her mother, and her father’s arrival to witness the cremation, delivered pathos and food for thought (and debate), and the monologue by the character Katrina was intensely moving and superbly acted.
Towards the conclusion, the universality of death becomes more emphasised, and the ensemble relates a chorus of disasters in multiple languages to beautiful effect. (The show’s director is Matthew Attwood.)
An additional strand is Kris’s relationship with her experienced boss, Evans, and their conversations around the nature of their job. As the play develops, we get a real sense of Kris learning the role of mediating between the worlds of the dead and the living, culminating in her learning the shock of grief in her own life.
So, the production moves from the dramatic plains to the dramatic heights. Not So Nice Theatre is a new company seeking to challenge audiences and nurture new talent: more plays please (but with maybe less fat).
