Tightly constructed – the play storms ever-forward
James Rushbrooke’s award-winning two-hander Before I’m Dead is a perfectly-balanced offering of snarky gallows humour and tender musings on the human experience, writes Melina Block.
Performed in the basement theatre of The Glitch – a shadowy respite from the sticky heatwave that has been beating down on London – every aspect of this production is equally refreshing.
The performances of the two leads – Myla Carmen as the strong-willed, terminally ill teenage Zara and Pete Ashmore as her measured, somewhat repressed counsellor, Stuart – are both outstanding. Carmen’s quick wit and bold energy blends excellently with Ashmore’s quietly sensitive portrayal of a man dared to start truly living. The pair are magnetic, grounded by Rushbrooke’s wonderfully insightful writing, they capture and hold the entire room’s attention from first words to final notes.
The in-the-round staging enhances the intimacy of what is, at its core, a deeply personal reflection on the fleeting power of close relationships. Tightly constructed, no scene drags. The play storms ever-forward, even as we are offered glimpses into the difficult pasts of the characters and their families. Even the guitar solo which closes out the piece – something which can all too easily become very cheesy, very quick – is just the right amount of earnest; a peaceful end that invites the audience to pause and reflect on what we have just experienced.
It is easy to see why Rushbrooke won a playwriting award for this show; it never feels overly dramatic or preachy, rather a humble, thoughtful and deeply human look at the regular people and ‘trivial’ moments which go on to shape our lives.
The Glitch, 134 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7AE until Sunday 21st June
Performance Times: 7pm nightly except Tuesdays, with a 2pm matinee on Thursdays and Saturdays
Price: £15/£12.50
Ticket link: https://buytickets.at/vaultcreativearts/2153481
