Endings suck.
Losing a friend, saying goodbye to a relative, moving home, accepting change… Thus is life? Duo Mary Higgins and Ell Potter (Ellie Keel Productions/ Hotter Project) are back to the Fringe this year to explore this with their newest collaboration: The Last Show Before We Die, a story ultimately about endings (and beginnings).
These two are housemates, writing partners, ex-romantic partners and best friends. Now they confront the notion of their own ending in this incredibly moving and exposing, personal beauty of a performance. You may have caught at least two previous shows from this legendary double act (Hotter, Fitter), but this third show - will it be their last?
Few can do verbatim theatre like these two, and they’ve brought us another heartfelt and revealing show featuring real stories from the experts on endings, including a former addict, a beloved late grandfather, Mary’s barber, a therapist, a palliative care nurse, a midwife and an immigrant.
Vulnerable, cathartic chaos ensues with the two baring all, from their bodies to their raw goodbyes, complete with clowning, absurd and abundant props and a poignant cabaret karaoke moment that keeps the audience strapped into this rollercoaster of emotions and creativity.
Lip syncing to the interviews, the two mould the energy within Summerhall’s beloved Plaines Plough Roundabout through choreography (Ted Rogers) that ranges from the evocative to the playful. They add their own voices to the performance, culminating in facing each other and their own growth, inviting us intimately and honestly into their parting, if only for this moment.
Oh, to live in the glittery, brave and empathetic minds of Ell and Mary. If you’re struggling with an ending of your own or just need to see theatre that makes you want to shout, “Now THAT’S the Fringe”, do not miss this.
Show Times: 7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-27 August 2023. Times vary.
Suitability: 16+ (Guideline) (This show contains light audience participation, nudity and distressing or potentially triggering themes)