G R I E F C A S E
Hope Theatre
Playing until 3rd October 2026
Photo credit: Hamish MacGillivray
{PR Gifted ticket}
Having lost his mum, G (Ru Lawrence) attempts to hide his emotions as his continues with his life, drowning himself in work and parties until he is forced to confront his feelings to clear out his mum’s belongings in the council flat she used to live in for the new tenants.
The show created by Lawrence grapples with the feeling of loss and guilt, things that ought to be said and expressed but ultimately never did. There were things that G wanted to say to his mum and also things he would have wanted to hear from her. The suffocating and crushing event he found himself in and the physical intimacy he desired are marvellously showcased in this show. However, while the fundamental concept is good, the way in which it is delivered needs finetuning. The event of story seems to have been triggered by G’s return to his mum’s old flat, but the actual visit itself seems to bare little consequence. Instead, the story jumps among G’s work, social and family life instead, both the past and the present.
Also acting as the movement director, the scenes choreographed by Lawrence and directed by Jack McKee are intimate, deliberate and the actors’ every move serving a purpose, from strangling pressure to expressions of love. The detailed and expressive movements are without a doubt the highlight of this show, painting a thousand words needing any verbal expression. This is exceptionally apt given that neither G nor his mum (Collette Hoson) are particularly good at showcasing their feelings to each other, and displaying their feelings through movements and embrace is a more powerful medium than spoken words.
In contrast, the verbal narratives of this show pales in comparison to the choreography. While there are moments of genuine love, regret and remorse, particularly between G and his mum, some of the others feel clumsy and serve little purpose to the overall development of G’s character. During the course of the show, some of G’s co-workers like Garry (Jack St Leger) engage in casual friendly chitchat with G following his mum’s death. The words of encouragement and questions about wellbeing are generic and certainly achieved the intended desire of creating an awkward situation, they add little to the progression of the plot. Frankly, all it managed to show is that Garry is insensitive, self-centred and always finds a way to bring the topic back to his own experience rather than offering any substantial in return.
With the spoken dialogues doing just enough to convey a basic story, the choreography does the bulk of the heavy lifting. Nevertheless, the intimacy created by the creatives and performers is palpable.
Creatives
Director: Jack McKee
Creator, Director, Movement Director, Sound Designer: Ru Lawrence
Composer: Phil Roscoe
Lighting Designer: Laurel Marks
Set Designers: Ru Lawrence, Toby Hampton
Co-Producers: Tailwind Physical Theatre, The Hope Theatre
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