In the words of a singer-songwriter from my hometown, “I don’t know how, or when, or why, but you’re going to die.” Although it is a rather jovial and ludicrous song, it’s message is undeniably true. The day will come where I’m no longer able to waste days eating crumpets in my pyjamas, complaining about how British the weather is, or searching the web for answers to the big questions in life like “Why does my coffee smell like fish?”

While many people will see death as “THE END” cruelly and enormously written in Comic Sans, others have a very different perception of our inevitable fate. Enter The Death Show. Written and performed by Antonia Beck and Lucy Nicholls, The Death Show is aptly about death. Starting at their own funeral, the duo explore their fear of death and the exciting journey they took to face this fear.

The mixture of humour and brutal honesty created some inspired moments that stood out, and showed the strength of their creative vision. Using a coffin as a centrepiece that functioned as storage and a versatile prop itself, seeing what would appear next or how it would be contorted was rather intriguing. Combined with an exploration of a topic that is often ignored, let alone lingered over, there was a lot of potential.

Sadly, much of this potential was not realised, mainly because of the jarring tone of the piece. It appeared to have a minor identity crisis, as it shifted back and forth between a lightly immersive play, short skits, and presentational segments. This made it hard to establish what the piece was, and was it was trying to do. Despite appearing to be a comedy about death in its description, it seemed far more like a story with some comedic elements.

Had they chosen a single format to stick with, this could have been a much stronger piece. Thinking back to the moments that were most memorable, they were the moments of honesty. Watching Beck and Nicholls hang a suit up as if they were preparing a body in a funeral parlour, accompanied by an account of moving the body from the morgue was genuinely moving. Listening to them talk about being unable to shake what they had seen on their journey while staring into a bonfire was powerful. Yet this was covered with some weaker humour that didn’t quite hit the mark.

With more work, they could have created a very funny and absurd piece about death, and how to embrace the fact that we’re all headed the same way. But after listening to what seems to be a true story coated in various clashing ideas, it would have been more interesting – and more provocative – to see them shed the protective layer of a stage persona, and speak openly about what they experienced. That doesn’t mean it has to lose the comedic side, but in telling a more direct story it would be easier to connect with and appreciate.

I sincerely hope that the Beck/Nicholls duo return with The Death Show: Part II, or The Death Show: Revisited, because you can tell that their fear of death is real and that it led them on a path of friendship and discovery, which changed them for the better. They work well together, and with a better tonal focus,- they could ultimately create something brilliant.     ★★★☆☆    Jeremy Ulster   27^th January 2018