these words that’ll linger like ghosts till the day i drop down dead – Pleasance Theatre, London

Writer: Georgie Bailey

Director: Lucy Betts

Georgie Bailey, his director Lucy Betts, his actors Tessa Wong and Daniel Crespin, and some on-point sound and light tech, have crafted an astonishing piece of work. It is complicated, it is quite hard to unpick and there are certain clues in the narrative that will get missed because of the complexity of the play’s structure, but those potentially troubling aspects get swept away by the flow of the piece, and by the staggering emotional commitment of the two actors.

The themes that the play explores are fairly transparent: loss, grief, guilt, things that should have been done but weren’t and things that were done that shouldn’t have been. However, the themes are presented in a tangle of metaphor and dissociation, and with a tonne of meta-theatrical intrusion. It should be annoyingly opaque, but it isn’t.

The struggles and crises of character B (the characters are called A and B. The actors are called Sam and Charlie though they could presumably have been called Tessa and Daniel?) are powerfully presented by Crespin. Funny, charming, pathetic, and lost, he bounces between states without missing a beat. Character A tries desperately to keep up, to cajole and comfort and encourage her friend (or brother or patient, the relationship is never straightforwardly delineated but it really doesn’t matter). The lack of definition makes the confusion and the caring resonate, and the emotional truth of the two performances makes that happen powerfully.

Any contemporary play that deals with mental health is festooned with trigger warnings and links to helpful organisations, and these words that’ll linger… is no exception. The cast list features Michaela Hunte, designated ‘Mental Health Champion’, and the linked website lists many organisations that can be contacted by anyone in need of advice or reassurance. The lack of specificity in the plot makes for a generalising of the themes of loss and despair, but the force of the writing and the acting brings those themes powerfully home.

An important, engaging, engrossing play that touches on a lot of serious issues, and makes them felt and particular to the individuals in the audience. Two outstanding and committed performances and writing that is poetic and powerful ride the waves of confusion the show has worked to create with impressive clarity and composure. ChewBoy Productions have made a very good thing.

Runs until 24 June 2023