An exhilarating journey through the complexities of endings, relationships, and the dance between life and death
The Last Show Before We Die at the Yard Theatre is an exhilarating journey through the complexities of endings, relationships, and the dance between life and death. Ell Potter and Mary Higgins, creators, performers, and real-life housemates, bring an unapologetically bold and strange energy to the stage, creating a visceral experience that blurs the lines between the personal and the universal.
The show opens with a daring portrayal of death, as Potter and Higgins, clad only in torn stockings, convulse on the floor to deafening dance music. It’s a risky start that sets the tone for what follows – a rollercoaster of emotions, absurdity, and genuine connection. The duo’s commitment to the unconventional is evident, and while the opening may initially alienate some, it serves as a deliberate ruse, inviting the audience to step into a world that is both messy and satisfyingly original.
Directed by Sammy J Glover and featuring movement by Ted Rogers, the production skilfully weaves verbatim interviews into a tapestry of stories about loss and the inevitable end. The audacity with which Potter and Higgins incorporate other people’s narratives into their own is a testament to their evolution as artists. Voices become percussion, emotions translate into dance, and the world tilts on its axis, making the performance a captivating exploration of the human experience.
For a show centred on endings and death, The Last Show Before We Die is paradoxically alive and vibrant. The performers, stripped down both physically and emotionally, embody the essence of a partnership on the brink. Monologues overlap, symbolising the familiarity that comes with shared history, and the audience witnesses bodies entangled, reluctant to untangle and stand apart. The weight of their love crackles in the air, creating a poignant atmosphere that lingers long after the final curtain.
The show’s multiple dichotomies – hilarious yet moving, bizarre yet relatable, rigorous yet chaotic – make it an eccentric treat. Interpretative dance is utilised to great effect, especially in the strange ballet of co-dependence and desire.
While the acoustics may occasionally hinder the clarity of pre-recorded interviews, the overall talent and intellect of the team shine through. The final image of Higgins and Potter, grinning and dancing separately but in unison, set to the beat of “Rip It Up,” encapsulates the essence of the show – a joyful, hopeful, and oddly affecting dance of death, life, and everything in between. The Last Show Before We Die is undeniably an eccentric treat that invites the audience to embrace the wildness of existence and the beauty found in saying goodbye.