Anxiety has never been funnier in this one-man show about a man convinced his time has comeRating
Good
This year, Jojo (Jonas Feind) is going to die. That’s what he’s convinced of anyway; he’s thought about it a lot, and he’s pretty sure that it’s going to happen. The play begins at Jojo’s funeral. Feind, who is prone on the floor when the audience walks in, jumps up and is quick to air his disappointment at the turnout. He’d hoped that there would be more of a crowd.
Over the next 45 minutes, This Year I Am Going To Die gives the audience an insight into the mind of this hypochondriac, overthinking and generally anxious character, in a story that sways between laugh-out-loud comedy, existentialism and social critique. The script is clever, often referring back to itself and riddled with dark jokes that never cross the line into discomfort.
This is a one-man performance, but Feind is excellent at switching between different characters, whether it’s his aunt, uncle or very stoned cousin. At some points, dialogue goes three ways: Jojo and the conversation partner are speaking, with several asides inserted for the audience’s benefit. Impressively, this never becomes confusing.
Only one other voice is present during the show, that of Jojo’s therapist (Lizzie Sharpe). It’s a testament to Feind’s performance that his interactions with this pre-recorded voice sound so natural; the conversations feel organic, rather than stilted.
Feind is keen to poke fun at his character, but it’s never mean-spirited. As Jojo’s fears amp up and he frantically runs through the many purchases he’s made in an attempt to be happy (essential oil diffuser, acupuncture mat, typo-ridden self-help journal), or wonders whether he’s actually a Sim (some of the show is, in fact, performed in Simlish), or muses on whether drugs are the answer (even though he went temporarily blind from being second-hand high that one time), the character is increasingly endearing and eminently recognisable as a real person. It means that when things get more serious, conversations about mental health and suicide giving new shades to the story, the emotional impact is sharper. It’s easy to care about Jojo, his quirky family and his neuroses.
The show lags a little in the middle and requires a stronger ending – as it stands, things just taper off quite anti-climatically – but there is great potential here. Tapping into fears of death and concerns about what it means to be happy, you will leave This Year I Am Going To Die feeling a little better about the world than when you sat down. With a little more development, this is certain to be a hit. Dag dag!
Written by Jonas Feind
Directed by Lizzie Sharpe
Production: Turtle Hellion Production Company
Producers: Jonas Feind, Dexi Moralde, Sasha Snowdon
Sound and lighting by Jessica Klimt
Script consultant: Katie Harriman
This Year I Am Going to Die next plays at the Edinburgh Fringe from Friday 7 to Saturday 15 August.
