Review: Curating, Old Red Lion Theatre

Completing paperwork and assessments is an inescapable part of our work and personal lives. In Curating, written by and starring Helen Cunningham, even the afterlife does not provide an escape from this task; our lives are the final product to be evaluated.

The upbeat Freya (Cunningham) wakes up in a strange room with a headache and no idea how she got there, her recent memories foggy. Her efficient ‘personal curator’ (Gwithian Evans) allows Freya little time to absorb the news that she is dead before detailing the forms and procedures that must be completed so she can cross over. Whilst The Curator (following regulations, he does not reveal his name) is distracted by a search for some missing paperwork, Freya is joined by the friendly John (Trey Fletcher) who is also recently deceased (from his perspective), having died in 1898. John has been left unsupervised by his own curator, the more relaxed Matilda (Andrea Matthea). Together, the pair bond as they reminisce about the lives they have left behind and the importance of taking every opportunity to live life to the full.

The afterlife (or at least the waiting area) and its inhabitants are an intriguing blend of contemporary and historic, which allows Freya and John to reflect on their life choices from their differing perspectives. This concept is immediately established by the set design: the office features a contemporary desk, chairs, printer and motivational posters, but also incongruous old-fashioned patterned teacups and saucers. Likewise, Matilda’s Victorian era dress reveals that she has been working there for some time, yet she enjoys vaping and is well versed in modern corporate jargon as she banters with The Curator, who is dressed in modern suit trousers, shirt, tie and watch. With Freya’s modern crop top and joggers contrasting with John’s double-breasted waistcoat and fob watch, there is no mistaking which era the new arrivals come from.

The choice to have characters from different time periods does more than just provide visual interest; their different sensibilities provide thoughtful reflections on how life can be fulfilling. Cunningham’s script brings plenty of humour from John’s confusion with modern slang, Matilda’s adoption of it, and the evolving meaning of words leading to Freya’s accidental faux pas. The script provides the cast with era-appropriate mannerisms and language, and director Nikoletta Soumelidis moderates the performances to bring these differences to life. Whilst Evans and Cunningham are emotional and animated as they lounge or race across the stage, Matthea and Fletcher are suitably prim and proper, precise in both movement and speech. The charismatic cast shares good chemistry as they convey believable warmth and friendship between their mismatched pairs.

Freya’s journey of discovery is not all good humour and friendly discourse. Her growing realisation of the events that lead to her death are accompanied with flashing lights and disconcerting sounds to effectively convey the emotional stress this causes her. Grace Morrison’s fitting music playlist subtly mirrors the themes of life and death being discussed, whilst also reflecting Freya’s upbeat and peppy personality. The music also drives the ongoing mystery; why does Freya keep hearing sounds from her past life?

Considering they are dead, the characters have a lot of personality, energy and wisdom through which they present their lessons and showcase all that can be experienced and lost in a lifetime. It’s a call to action to tick through as many of the boxes of life as we can.

Directed by: Nikoletta Soumelidis
Written by: Helen Cunningham
Music by: Grace Morrison
Presented by: 28&2 Productions

Curating plays at The Old Red Lion until Monday 10 November