Memento Mori

Leicester University Theatre invites us to contemplate our mortality with a production of David Campton’s punchy black comedy Memento Mori, a very British tale of two men harbouring mutually disturbing ideas.

Dom Rye’s portrayal of the ancient widower unwilling to part with his decrepit mansion is at once both droll and sinister, spiraling wickedly out of control as the pace gathers and dark secrets emerge. Sam Illingworth, by comparison, is faced with a greater challenge of playing the straight young city type determined to find a remote bolt-hole for him and his itinerant wife. His intentions are altogether more opaque, and initially his depiction seems somewhat soporific faced with such an eccentric and excitable old man.

The set is simple; the only objects deemed instrumental to the plot are a cupboard and a fireplace. The strength of this piece lies in the dense and tightly-written dialogue – in fact, at times the actors are so keen to maintain its pace that its finer points are on the verge of becoming lost. It is, however, delivered in the main with intensity and affection by the cast, and some well-considered moments of physical comedy punctuate the relentless verbal sparring. At 30 minutes, this play feels well-proportioned without wandering into tiresome territory.

A good example of unsung Fringe talent, LUT have taken the Memento Mori adage to heart and delivered an accessible human piece which fully exploits their theatrical abilities. Hopefully next year will see them extend their run and the scope of their chosen production.