by an nameless visitor critic
Working in a funeral dwelling is not any enjoyable, nevertheless it’s even worse while you encounter any person you knew whereas at work. For Rachel, it’s the physique of a person who sexually assaulted her 11 months in the past – a nightmare situation if ever there was one. Rachel is extra calm {and professional} than anyone might believably count on in these circumstances. As she begins the method of embalming, she recounts the story to the viewers while working by way of her emotions of anger, guilt and frustration, and of how she drove her household away and retreated from the world.
It’s a strong monologue written and convincingly performed by Alexandra Donnachie. In the perimeter drama panorama, it’s refreshing to come back throughout a personality and efficiency that’s nuanced however determinedly un-showy. I stored excited about how ‘normal’ the character appeared. However, alongside this grounded sense of characterisation, she provides in some physicality so as to add just a little emphasis to components of the story. As she twists and spins, her motion typically bringing to thoughts a rag doll or a corpse-like carcass on a hook. The actions appear out of her management, a lot as she is powerless within the story she is telling.
In the unsuitable palms this could possibly be clumsy or overdone, however on this present it feels refined and infrequently highly effective. The manufacturing is probably not for everybody; the subject material is definitely a deterrent. But it’s clear that Donnachie is a gifted actress and author, and I’ll definitely be shopping for a ticket for her subsequent work.
When We Died runs by way of 27 August.
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