Margaret and Grace are excited that they can finally hold that eagerly anticipated welcome party for their sister Dorothy. Grace had died aged 22, Margaret at 63, and they've had to wait a long time for the 97 year old. And this is the Afterlife.
These two are old hands here, so they know their newly arrived sibling will be feeling disoriented at first, and argue about the best ways to help her acclimatise, and to realise who they are. Are Vera Lynn and sausage rolls really the best options?
When Dorothy finally walks through the gates she is old, cranky and confused. It takes a big effort from the others to get through the fog and rejuvenate their sister. Along the way each talks about their own death, and the sadness of the backstories that led to them. Bad marriages, domestic violence, lack of opportunity - the limitations placed on the lives of 20th century women. Women who earn a qualification in coping.
It's all a bit rushed at first, the scene setting crammed into the first ten minutes, but that reflects the limitations of a 50 minute drama trying to tackle some big themes. The performances manage to overcome these doubts, Meghan Tyler's Grace a mix of regret and optimism, Sandra McNeeley is a cynical, funny and damaged Margaret, while Deborah Arnott is excellent as the grumpy pensioner, but smartly casts off that prickly carapace to emerge into her sad but reasonable middle aged past.
There are a lot of laughs, as you'd expect from a write of Lynn Ferguson, but complemented by some heartbreaking monologues as each sister revisits the sources of their sadness. And Dorothy has a great line taking a dig at the modern resurgence of fascism, which she thought she'd seen off in 1945.
Entertaining, with more to chew on than your average short play. Highly recommended.
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