Director’s Note: Janine Watson, COLDER THAN HERE
This is a play about death.
This is a play about human mortality.
But, when a culture and social structure are devoid of spirituality, where connection to the earth is an afterthought, when someone’s world has always been relatively safe and secure, mortality is the great provoker of fear.
Myra is looking death in the face. The reality of death as an ending. Without a religion or higher power to provide the illusion of protection in death.
Her family want to turn away but the truth of her mortality creeps into their layers of denial like the cold that is seeping into their home after the boiler has broken down in the middle of a dark winter.
It is a blatant but beautiful metaphor and by leaning completely into it, Laura Wade has provided the actors a potent, visceral and uncomfortable environment to face impending grief in what should be a warm safe domestic setting.
The truth is unavoidable here in their freezing house.
Where Myra wants to stay.
But the cold is also galvanising. It wakes you up. It sharpens the senses. Just as the relief of speaking, hearing, and living the truth of our human flaws is like taking a deep, deep breath.
Laura Wade eschews sentiment. She does not rely on nifty poetic platitudes. Her writing is steeped in realism. Her family of characters are so familiar – like looking at an old photograph. Great swathes of her writing burst with humour whilst refusing to trick an audience into believing there’s an easy way out.
COLDER THAN HERE is a gorgeous play – simple in its intention – rigorous and illuminating in its execution.
Janine Watson
Playing 16 Sep – 12 Oct, don’t miss Laura Wade’s beautiful journey through love, loss and laughter.