Living With the Dead – Augustine United Church, Edinburgh

Writer, Cossette Bolt, creates a homage to humanity with this script. The sensitive subject (set in a funeral home where the dead are finally prepared for their send-off) is a tribute to the lives each body recently encompassed. Bolt says: This story exists because tragedy exists. [A] staggering number of lives [are] lost as a result of natural disasters, human disasters, and the pandemic. I recognized the normalcy with which people tossed around numbers of dead in the hundreds and thousands but seemed scandalized by smaller-scale tragedies.

A young American, who has completed her post-graduate MFA Acting for Stage and Screen at Napier University, Bolt relishes the Edinburgh vibe and creative flow. Paired with the youthful, Not so Nice! theatre company (headed up by Matthew Attwood) Bolt’s words met an appreciative audience.

There were moments of pathos and vivacity. The set was beautifully designed by Grace Ava Baker and worked seamlessly. I particularly liked the central column and its role as a kind of keepsake, where lives were either discarded without thought or held tenderly in someone’s memory.

The ensemble work was spot-on and well-conceived. Chris Veteri, as Evans, brought levity to the proceedings with a flawless American accent. Grace Ava Baker, playing Kris, was outstanding. Isabella Verlarde did a beautiful piece, but it was marred by the presence of a mute mother whose back blocked the view of some audience members, distancing them from the impact of the words and the quality of the performance. Verlarde’s character, Katrina, would have benefited from a sense of isolation on stage – empowering the tragic loss of two young lives.

Pacing was an issue: leaving overextended pauses between dialogue (to emphasise pathos) became wearisome and heavy-handed. The audience knows it’s sad. In reality, people in mourning might gabble anxiously as much as delay speech. It was a relief to see Evans enter with his no-nonsense approach. The change of lighting here worked to good effect.

The ending is powerful. It brings the loss directly onto the stage and the final ensemble is authentic, filled with force and honesty.

I take my hat off to this young, courageous company. Conveying personal tragedy challenges any actor. A deep sense of loss is more achievable when experienced by the performer personally. Drawing an audience into the excruciating pain of permanent absence is a huge ask. It means somehow tapping into the loss of each audience member and reviving an intimate experience in them. This did not happen last night.

This script has the potential to move an audience to tears. Bravo Grace Ava Baker for accessing this on stage.

Tighten up the pacing, emphasise the gentle humour for contrast (and to highlight the tragic element). Include some older cast members with personal experience to draw upon and this play is a potential five-star winner.

Keep your eye on the future. Not so Nice! and Cosette Bolt have a lot to offer.

Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield

Reviewed: 25th April 2025

North West End UK Rating: