It’s not just a dead body that can be the subject of a post mortem. Dead relationships can also be examined to see where things went wrong. It is such an investigation that forms the basis of Post-Mortem at the Space on the Isle Of Dogs.
This post mortem is full of life.
Writer and performer Iskandar R. Sharazuddin is joined by Essie Barrow to play Alex and Nancy respectively in this tragic yet simple love story. The pair met each other at school and fell in love. They were teenagers exploring a whole new world of intimacy. They believed that their future together would be a dream come true; except that things didn’t go quite to plan. It all got very messy and ultimately ended. They separated and went their different ways until ten years later they were invited to a wedding where their roles will required them to reunite.
There’s little original in that, but the way it is told provides the interest. The bare bones of this story are filled out in a that script provides impassioned monologues and fast-paced dialogue combined with movement sequences, visuals, sound and evocative lighting. Along with the performers the team of director, Jessica Rose McVay, designer Eleanor Bull and Will Alder in charge of sound have transformed this simple plot into an intense exploration of romance and breakdown.
There is also some clever interweaving of themes and ideas that encourage the making of connections and allow the mind wander. The opening vacuum cleaner scene, which at first might appear to be no more than an amusing diversion, assumes metaphorical symbolism and psychological significance later on. An early school scene takes place in a biology class where they are dissecting a pig. Apart from providing some humour it clearly relates to the title of the piece but also portends how their relationship will be torn apart and examined. The wedding scene is cleverly constructed around the procession into the church, accompanied by Pachelbel’s Canon. The movement here becomes a repeated motif in th same way that the music keeps going around and they continue to go over past events.
Post-Mortem is one of those pieces that offers up more the longer it is thought about and reflected upon. In performance it all happens rather quickly and it is easy to miss just how ingenious some of it is. It is also a delight just to sit back admire the movement and be drawn into the story. This post mortem is full of life.
