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Camden Fringe
Grief, unspoken feelings, technology, consent and coercion are all explored through two friends’ intense reunion after one’s death; an emotional rollercoaster with a surprising, dark twist.Summary
Rating
Unmissable!
The desire to talk to a dead loved one and say all that is unsaid is ubiquitous, which is why How You Died taps into an emotional strain that is both deeply personal and universal, telling a story that is about technology and human relationships.
Told in short scenes, it focuses on the conversations between two friends, one alive and one dead but digitally resurrected as a hologram. She is a digital construct but has all the memories and emotions of her previous self. He is hiding something from her.
Themes of grief and how to move on are explored through moving writing from Edith Keays. The dialogue between the two friends is sharp, and through their private jokes and past, the characters’ complexities are revealed.
The morality of technology – its therapeutic and coercive aspects – are traversed through an insightful study of a friendship, which keeps the drama focused on the human impact of technology. As the scenes unfold, the tension steadily rises and the tone shifts. The revelation that she has not consented to being resurrected and has no control over her situation recasts the friendly chats as something much more sinister and adds a new, more viscerally uncomfortable, dimension to the drama.
The writing, the direction from Ellie Jay Stevens, and the performances ably handle this tonal shift by further highlighting this change through dialogue, body language and the power dynamic shown on stage.
A twist questions not only the characters’ relationship, but time itself. What is initially presented as a first post-mortem meeting is revealed to be part of an ongoing cycle, which creates a surprising new dimension to the drama. Were all these scenes from the same encounter? How much time has passed between scenes? This expands the story through time and makes her reaction more impactful as all that we have seen before becomes uncertain.
The two characters are brought to life via excellent performances from Lois Baglin and Tom Gould-Scott. They have strong chemistry that creates a believable friendship. When this is subverted in the later scenes, this change in the relationship is powerfully reflected in their performances.
The sets and lighting subtly convey the futuristic setting, whilst leaving ample space for the performances and writing to take centre stage. They gesture at a future where technology makes beyond the grave reunions possible, whilst keeping the drama focused on the characters.
How You Died is an emotional rollercoaster that moves from poignant scenes about grief to intense drama focused on the specifics of a relationship, with a final deeply affecting gut punch that addresses the wider issue of coercion.
As well as provoking intense feelings, it left me thinking about changing technologies and how abuse can exist in friendships with unequal power dynamics. It is a powerful story with great writing, directing, and performances that resonated strongly with me and remain at the forefront of my mind.
Written by: Edith Keays
Directed by: Ellie Jay Stevens
Artistic director: Jay Stevens
Design by: Hugo Dodsworth
How You Died has completed its current run as part of Camden Fringe.
You can read more about this show in our recent interview with writer Edith Keays here.
