Wife After Death

WIFE AFTER DEATH by Eric Chappell is set in the home of the recently deceased comedian, Dave Thursby, on the day of his funeral.  It is a difficult play to categorise.  It’s not raucously funny but bubbled along nicely with a few good one liners, a couple of hilariously moments and then things turned dark and quite serious.  Love and laughter are the theme of the play with plenty of twists and turns along the way with a bit of slapstick as well. 

Tables were laid out cabaret style and there was a lovely, cold supper served in the interval, musical interlude with live accompaniment under the musical direction of Ruth Malone.

The very upmarket home of the comedian was very realistically created with white grand piano taking pride of place in the elegant set which was tastefully decorated.  The coffin (discreetly placed towards the back of the set) was a talking point among the audience in the interval. 

Everyone thinks they know Dave well but each with a different view and this is the basis for the story: the secrets of his life unfold, his ex-wife arrives, his lovers are revealed and  his relationships with writer and agent are played out.    There were some good dramatic moments when Kevin , Dave’s agent,  (Ian Trodd) learns of his wife’s antics in the stationery  cupboard and when the current wife (Jennie Barr) discovers she was married to a bigamist.  There was good contrast between the lovers Vi (Lesley Morrison) and Jane (Sam McWilliams) and Kay, the ex-show girl from Dave’s past (Wilma Jordan).  The cast maintained a high standard of acting throughout .   Graeme Cooper, as Harvey, the lynch pin,   demonstrated his considerable comic talent and delivered his lines with energy and enthusiasm.  Director Elizabeth Knight is to be congratulated on this production which was well as being an evening of gentle fun, also gave the audience food for thought on today’s attitudes toward social class, friendship, celebrity and death.

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