In today’s society, with the uncertainty of Brexit, projected economy slumps and the prolific messages we’re bombarded with from Social Media, there is very little certainty in our lives. The one and only thing in life that we can all be certain of is that we will die. Whilst for many of us this may seem a rather somber and morbid thought, for two artists from Birmingham this is the very inspiration behind their new show.
Created in response to a provocative and unashamedly honest dialogue about death, Antonia Beck and Lucy Nicholls have written and produced The Death Show which looks to better understand society’s relationship with death and dying, and why we struggle to accept our own mortality. It is both a personal view of the subject matter, and an exploration of how we as a society can have better conversations about death and dying.
There has been a real shift in the death positivity movement in the last few years, highlighted only recently, by BBC2’s Horizon film, We Need to Talk About Death which documented Dr. Kevin Fong’s personal journey through the moral questions about death.
The Death Show is Beck and Nicholls’ response to that journey, presented as a live, contemporary performance that is funny, surreal, reflective, honest (and references a good dose of pop culture). Despite their mutual ‘thanataphobia’, Beck and Nicholls don’t believe that death should be seen as morbid, macabre, weird, disturbing, melancholic or most importantly unmentionable.
As part of the research and development for the show, the artists embarked on an in-depth research journey that included taking part in a celebrant training course, being artists in residence at an independent funeral directors, spending time with patients at a hospice and having numerous conversations with death and end of life care professionals.
When: 2nd March 2019 (the Death Show will also be touring nationally in 2019)
Where: Jacksons Lane,269A Archway Rd, Highgate, London N6 5AA
£: Tickets cost £10 – £14
More info: www.jacksonslane.org.uk and www.thedeathshow.co.uk