Am I Dead Yet? @ Traverse, 19 Aug
Unlimited Theatre certainly don’t hesitate when it comes to tackling uncomfortable topics. In fact, according to Chris Thorpe and Jon Spooner, creators of Am I Dead Yet?, we don’t talk about death enough. To kick-start the conversation, Thorpe and Spooner consider the fact that in an increasingly technological age, death is no longer a moment but a process – one that can even be reversed. They ask, how can we adapt our thinking as human beings in the face of such a mind-boggling concept?
It’s undoubtedly a question that deserves deep consideration. However, Am I Dead Yet? is not quite the radical re-examination of society and its beliefs that it could be. The performers use a combination of storytelling, live music and dark-edged humour to engage the audience with the material, to varying degrees of effectiveness. The main conceits focus on imagined scenarios that are compelling and interesting, but the performers break out of character or alter the format of the show too abruptly and frequently to allow the audience to become fully immersed.
The musical elements hold the performance together. The performers bang away on electric guitar and piano to keep the energy flowing, and their song-writing is sharp and witty. A fully improvised number using flashcards written by the audience is the most enjoyable part of the show, and the most creative.
Certainly thought-provoking, Am I Dead Yet? is a worthy piece of theatre, even if it falls short of being truly ground-breaking.
Unlimited Theatre: Am I Dead Yet? Traverse Theatre, run ended.