Theatre review: Post-Mortem, Assembly George Square, Edinburgh

Alex and Nancy meet at a post-mortem, or at least over the dissection of a pig’s heart in A-level biology.
Post-Mortem, Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)Post-Mortem, Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)
Post-Mortem, Assembly George Square Studios (Venue 17)

Post-Mortem, Assembly George Square, Edinburgh * * *

They fall in love, in an intense, young, forever kind of way. Then something happens for which neither can forgive the other.

Ten years later, when they meet again at a friend’s wedding, neither has really moved on. In a series of flashbacks, they dissect the past. Accidentally locked in the disabled toilet together while the Macarena plays, they have to confront some things about their relationship - and about themselves.

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However, this intense two-hander, written by Iskandar Sharazuddin and directed by Jessica Rose McVay and animated by strong performances by Sharazuddin and Essie Barrow as Alex and Nancy, is about more than a pair of exes picking over the wreckage.

It alternates physical theatre sequences with straight scenes, a balance which doesn’t always sit comfortably, but Sharazuddin’s text is lively and often poignant. One is left with a strong sense of two unique individuals, and how their particular package of strengths and neuroses can bring them together, but also drive them apart.

Until 26 August

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