Vernon is a 50-minute slice of earnest, raw, conversational monologue, as a funeral director's illicit fag break unspools into the confession of a domestic nightmare.Rating
Excellent!
Part of SE Fest 2025, Vernon is a one-man show about a funeral director, with writer Gary Bates also performing as the eponymous Vernon. It’s hard to tell if there is an autobiographical element to the writing: if so, it is an incredibly brave story to relate, and if not, it shows great insight into some deeply traumatic subject matter.
The preamble for relating this story to the audience is Vernon bunking off from a wake for a cigarette break. This allows a naturally candid tone to develop quite organically, and the use of a black box theatre with one character, one funereal costume, with a beer barrel for a set and a cigarette for props; a neat means with which to suddenly start talking to strangers.
Soon touching on his home life, the narrative begins to get heavy as problems with Vernon’s marriage start and intertwine with mental illness in his daughter. Coupled with this, there is the period of COVID, where funeral businesses were forced to not only continue working but at an increased rate. With growing demands, they were unable to provide the same level of service to soothe loved ones. All of these topics unwind almost like a therapy session where work and home clash and cross over in the messy way they often do. Not to reveal too much, but the relatable delivery from Bates makes everything very ordinary – truthful, plausible, so when he begins to alight on (for most) unimaginably painful events, it is as an extension of a life that is already comprehensible.
The straightforward nature of Bates’ style means that he doesn’t seem to hide Vernon’s own poor behaviour as one might when relating a story to company, polishing the edges of your personality to make you look better. This candour chimes in with the professionalism of Vernon as a funeral director, as he requires solemnity and high standards of care and empathy to do his job. These are things he can try to apply at home, but, ultimately, his skills cannot help him with the living as much as they do with the dead.
As a small production with little adornment, it is really all about the writing and the acting of one person, guided no doubt with deft direction from Tash Marks. Vernon excels in the subtlety of all three. What occurs happens at a very individual level, and while the events can be dramatic, it is kept small in its particular and personal nature. For nearly an hour, Vernon, Bates or both pour their heart out without showy theatrics and confront issues that are seldom talked about openly. Brave and insightful.
Written and performed by Gary Bates
Directed by Tash Marks
You can read and interview with Gary and Tash about Vernon here.
Vernon has completed its performances as part of SE Fest 2025
