After All This: Ever Wondered What Happens To us After Death? ~ Theatre Review

[THEATRE & PHYSICAL THEATRE/Theatre ~ ADELAIDE PREMIERE ~ SA] Rumpus Theatre, Wed 5 Oct. After All This is a three act play that ruminates on ideas that are often the territory of religious thought - life after death, the concept of there being chosen ones among us, what it means to be good, and the appeal of nothingness, all examined from different perspectives. Written by Marcel Dorny and performed originally at the Brisbane Festival in 2011 by Elbow Room Theatre Company, this Green Room Award-winning play has been adapted for Adelaide audiences by director Nate Troisi and producer Caitlin Ellen Moore. They have taken a multisensory and slightly experimental approach, with cast and audience intermingling throughout the first two acts, in different spaces, before a more formal stage and seated rows are used in the final scene. This unpredictability works well and allows for some amusing exchanges and even an audience singalong. After All This is intimate and no-frills theatre which subtle use of lighting enhances. Music highlights include some off-stage choir singing and Talking Heads’ Heaven (“Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens...”) to add a little humour to proceedings. The three acts have distinct plots which allows for some cast members to take on multiple roles without causing any confusion for the audience. In keeping with the collective sentiment of the project there is not a cast list but there are some strong individual performances amongst the cast. In Act 1, where two youngsters begin to query their parents’ religious beliefs, there is plenty of scope to develop their characters’ personas. Act 2 presents a scientist arguing with a mathematician about heaven from the scientific perspective. In Act 3 a collective of 8 free thinkers have come to believe that the body is merely a vehicle and that for the more developed among us there is at least a spiritual continuity in the afterlife. If you have ever wondered about what happens to us after death (and who hasn’t?) this play may not present any real answers but will leave you thinking. 3.5 stars Catherine Tune After All This continues at Rumpus Theatre, Bowden, at various times, until Sun 16 Oct. Book at Eventbrite. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.