Review: How to Urn a Living, Hen and Chickens Theatre

Camden Fringe 2024

A funeral parlour may not be the obvious setting for a comedy, but the very first scene of How to Urn a Living (clever pun) quickly establishes the fast-paced world of Fowler’s Funeral. There is no mistaking the setting from the staging: a coffin, a trolley full of embalming tools and tombstones surround the reception desk. Here, farcical comedy blends with a few more serious reflections on the nature of life and death, for both customers and the business. 

The cast effectively draw the different but complementary personalities of their characters together. Writer Zofia Zerphy also plays the mortician Wisteria, bringing her to vivid life; she is boisterous and gleefully excited by all thoughts of death and embalming, leaping around the stage in a black oldetimey dress: imagine Wednesday Addams if she was hyped up on energy drinks all day and night. Every comedic personality needs a serious one to play off against, and Tobias Ross Reymond Jorgensen brings this to the group as the owner, Mr Fowler, who is caring to his staff and customer-focused, whilst also desperate to secure business, in his severe dark suit. Their assistant Lilith, played by Fiona Lotara, is more grounded and a good contrast as she wears pastel clothing and carries her bright pink pen and notebook. The three interact with a wide range of customers, all brilliantly portrayed by Yolanda Matji adopting different costumes, accents and personalities thanks to impressively fast changes. 

The staff are glad of all the customers they can get through the door as they bemoan the fact that people are just not dying like they used to, which is not good news when you work in the funeral business. Even with their different approaches, the three colleagues rally together in their struggle to grasp any business they can get their hands on and despite the morbid setting there is a lot of humour. This partly comes from the increasingly outlandish customers and their bizarre requests for how they want their loved (and not so loved) ones to have their final send off. There are discussions on the ethics of a business that is dependent upon the sad losses of others, on which kind of people ‘deserve’ to die over others, and how so much thought is given to having a good death when people should instead first focus on having a good life. The story and laughs kick into high gear midway through as Wisteria and Lilith implement their plan to save their jobs.

Director Vilde Bjørkedal maintains a good balance of the silly and serious, and the stage lighting cleverly adapts to match each scene, dimming down when the darker aspects of death are discussed and brightening up when the joyful comedy occurs. There are well chosen songs, which play well with the themes of life and death, used to accompany quick montages of action.

Highly energetic throughout the show, the cast bring this strange adventure to life in the entertaining hour we share with them. They more than achieve their goal of bringing laughs and some positive thoughts on living life to the full in their darkly comic tale.

Written by: Zofia Zerphy
Directed by: Vilde Bjørkedal
Produced by: Beserk Theatre Group

How To Urn a Living plays at Hen and Chickens Theatre until 1st August. Further information and bookings can be found here.

It will also play at The Old Red Lion Theatre for GrimFest, from 7th – 10th October. Information and bookings will be announced here and The Space Theatre for The Voila Festival on 5th, 6th and 10th November. Information and bookings will be announced here.

You can find out more about the show in our recent interview with writer and actor Zophia Zerpy here.