5 stars
Movement and razor-sharp dialogue come together in a marvel of modern theatre with Post-Mortem.
Image by Ali Wright
Written and performed by Iskandar Sharazuddin, Post-Mortem neatly dissects a relationship long since dwindled. Sharazuddin’s Alex and Essie Barrow’s Nancy are childhood sweethearts; through the course of Post-Mortem’s expertly paced hour, the audience will see them come together and disastrously tear themselves apart.
The narrative itself is as jumbled as the memories of the two characters. We skip between times with almost every scene change, but the relative simplicity of the story prevents this from becoming confusing.
Scene changes and time jumps are heralded through stark lighting changes and audio queues, with the use of light and shadow in particular changing the mood and tone of the performance.
This is a show that incorporates two very different art forms in a remarkable whole. The blend of contemporary dance and acting is cunning, delivering cohesion to the performance where in the hands of a less nuanced production there would be dissonance.
The physical space between the performers is used to reflect the emotional distance between the characters in a marvellously subtle indication as to the state of the relationship. It’s an effective primer and, even if the audience doesn’t notice it, gives an inherent layer of comprehension and meaning.
Post-Mortem is a dazzlingly well-written piece of theatre, with snappy dialogue and one-liners that hang in the air like the embers of a flame, held there just long enough to be noticed but not so long as to overshadow the core of the dialogue.
Sharazuddin delivers the mother of all monologues at a point part way through the show, and the combination of his marvellous writing and impeccable delivery is astounding.
Not relying on an over-wrought narrative and instead drawing on the fundamentals of theatre, Post-Mortem is a touching piece of performance art that expertly weaves two different styles into a glorious whole.
Tickets available from the FRINGE WORLD website.
GLEN SEABROOK-BENSON