This play, which premiered in 2005 at Soho Theatre, is new to me. And I’m forcibly struck by its total lack of theatrical pretentiousness. It is simply a well written four hander presenting four members of a family facing an imminent death.

Myra (Laura Fitzpatrick) has bone cancer and a few months to live. She is trying to be much more upfront and direct about this than her daughters and husband feel able to be and she wants a “green” woodland funeral. The play is set over six months in the family living room and in various possible burial venues.

I liked the paciness of Wade’s dialogue and very much admired Emma Riches’s beautifully nuanced work as the younger daughter, Harriet. She is one of those actors who can communicate volumes with a tilt of her chin or an eye movement and she finds a huge range of moods during the course of the play.

Also enjoyable was the sub plot about the broken boiler. Michael Tuffnell as Alec finally comes into his own with a wonderful telephone conversation with the boiler company. I’m not sure it actually adds much to the play but it is a fine five minutes of nicely paced comedy.

The set is ingenious in its simplicity. A few items of sitting room furniture are upended, rearranged and covered with cloths to represent different burial grounds, appropriately lit by Matthew Karmios as we progress through the winter to spring.  The music which covers the scene changes is pleasing too. Alec is a classical music buff so we get at various times, Mozart, Verdi, Vivaldi, Brahms and some evocatively remixed Purcell.

I’m doubtful, though, about the cardboard coffin. I attended a funeral recently which featured one and it was the traditional navicular shape. It certainly didn’t look like a coffee table.

Colder Than Here is not especially cutting edge but this production is decent work. Moreover, it’s a thoughtful piece of theatre and it’s always good to be made to think about the need to confront death and loss rather than deny it.

First published by Sardines: https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/review/colder-than-here-2/