Tell Me How It Ends – Liverpool Everyman

Set in Liverpool in the late 80s, Tell Me How It Ends follows the lives of two Queer people who are polar opposites, brought together during the AIDS epidemic, when they realise the community have no one else to turn to but themselves.

Luke Sookdeo as Marc and Emmy Stonelake as Aster take us on a journey of love, truth, and heartbreak. As Marc lies in his hospital bed, trialling numerous concoctions of drugs to try and combat HIV, Aster is a volunteer who gives up their time visiting the men in hospital who are going through the same thing. Offering an ear, a laugh and joke or just some silent company and a book, Aster and Marc become the closest of friends.

Written by award winning Tasha Dowd, the story is told with care and love, injected with humour throughout to give the piece a feeling of joy but not sugar coating the truth behind the history of the piece. The way the government overlooked this community repeatedly, focussing on the wrong things rather than the thousands of people dying from this virus, who were being locked away and hidden from the rest of the world.

Tell Me How It Ends shines a light on the groups of lesbians across the world who held out their hands to help, to be right there to support, donate blood and fight for the rights of a very underserved community.

The set, designed by Katie Scott, is simple but extremely well used, with everything on show throughout but with the use of creative lighting (Jack Coleman) and fantastic direction, the set becomes three completely separate places. Costumes, also designed by Scott, are wonderful, dragging the 80’s back to the forefront and they are a joy to see. Gitika Buttoo directs this piece with love and care, focussing on the detail needed to bring this important piece to life.

Sookdeo and Stonelake are perfect in these roles, throwing themselves in to the heart of the piece and connecting with the audience from the off, inviting us in and keeping us there right to the last minute.

Accompanied by the most incredible 80s soundtrack, Tell Me How It Ends warms your insides while breaking your heart at the same time and is such an important piece, keeping our history fresh in our minds and showing us the fight is still not over but there is still a lot of living to be done.

Running at Liverpool Everyman until Saturday 22^nd June 2024 with tickets available at www.everymanplayhouse.com

Reviewer Damian Riverol

Reviewed: 13th June 2024

North West End UK Rating: