FRINGE REVIEW: Romance Isn't Dead in "Post-Mortem"
There are two kinds of people in this world - those that will compulsively pick at the scab of a failed relationship, and those who would rather cut off the metaphorical limb than ever mention an ex's name again. Firmly in the latter camp (within half an hour of a breakup there will be no more shared social media posts and all messages will be deleted) I found myself fascinated by the premise of this original production from Ellandar and 45North.
The characters in Post-Mortem leave the analysis for ten years before being forced together at the wedding of mutual friends. The connection is still there, and in a series of flashbacks - the story line is determinedly non linear - the two explore the reasons for their break up.
As teenagers Alex ( Blue Room alum Iskandar Sharazuddin) and Nancy (Essie Barrow) fall in love over a pig dissection and a mutual love of puns. They are playing at grown ups, planning lives stretching out together forever in a series of predictable and sensible choices that soon leaves Nancy feeling trapped. The lies that follow inform a kind of shared misunderstanding of their history - each feels that their love was a powerful, real thing despite their youth, but both blame each other for it's demise.
Post-Mortem is told with startling physicality. Dance acts as proxy for the words Alex and Nancy can’t quite speak aloud. The choreography is testament to Sharazuddin’s dance and gymnastics background and fuses seamlessly with the spoken word to create a hybrid dance-theatre offering.
There is a feeling of genuine fondness between the two leads. By the time we get through the wedding the audience is half in love with both of them, no matter their individual faults. My inner cynic was pushed to the side and I found myself shamelessly hoping for a final scene reunion.
Post-Mortem is lovely - a moving exploration of a romance that was meant to be, without shying away from some very real issues.
Four out of five stars.
