Where: Holden Street Theatre
When: 11 February – 23 February
Tickets: here
Alex (Iskandar R. Sharazuddin) and Nancy (Essie Barrow) are 17 and in love. United over a botched pig heart dissection (where so often love does bloom), the pair quickly become inseparable — until they’re not. Post-Mortem is a dissection of other sorts. 10 years have passed and the couple are reunited at a wedding. All of the questions from a decade ago are still poignant. Did they make a mistake? What could it have been? Who is to blame?
The tension is built with scenes of conflict and dialogue, broken up with interludes of choreographed physical theatre. These scenes at first are a detraction from the action, however as the play progresses and the scenes grow in intensity, the physical theatre become a welcome respite and breaks the tension momentarily.
Sharazuddin and Barrow are both excellent. They have a natural chemistry and I am most impressed by their tight choreography of the physical theatre — it’s faultless. With minimal set design, the two actors still manage to bring you into the scene; you can see the world constructed around them.
There are some funny moments (including some awful/excellent puns), but overall Post-Mortem is a slow burn. Sharazuddin and Barrow force you into a pressure chamber, bringing relief at the end. It’s a classic tale of a post-relationship dissection, but this time it feels fresh.
3.5 stars
Collage 