Mort is a young man whose father is trying to find him an apprenticeship at the apprentices hiring fair. Mort is not the most intelligent person in the world and nobody is willing to take him on until, at the very end of the day, just as his father is about to give up, a potential employer makes contact. Perhaps the fact that its now midnight and that the employer is a seven foot tall skeleton should make him a little wary, but not in Discworld.
Morts employer is, of course, Death. Anyone who has read Terry Pratchetts books knows that Death is actually a weary, well-meaning being, who is normally only seen by human beings when they die, but can always be seen by wizards and witches. Having been in the job for a very long time, he has taken on an apprentice to give himself a chance of taking some time off to do something more fulfilling, such as working in a burger bar.
After a suitable period of training, Death takes the opportunity to have a break and leaves Mort to handle a few deaths. Unfortunately, Mort is a kindly person and takes pity on someone who should die, leaving her alive instead, which has all sorts of ramifications for future history, and for Mort himself.
This production was first performed in March 2008 in Oxford, where most of the cast members are at university, and was very successful, leading to the decision to bring it to the Fringe. Unfortunately, several of the cast left and it has had to be recast. This shows a little and the play is not quite as free-flowing as it ought to be. Also, the book has had to be cut significantly to get it down to a reasonable length as a play. However, it is very entertaining and worth seeing, particularly for anyone who likes Terry Pratchetts humour.
