Charlie MacGechan and Allel Nedjari [Alex Brenner]

I LOVED Sergio Blanco’s previous play Thebes Land in 2017, but his latest show left me cold.

Three ghost actors Al Nedjari, Charlie MacGechan and Danny Scheinmann tell us how they died and how they’d like to be remembered. Apparently they are there to help Sergio find meaning in his death and the play he’s writing. Nedjari also plays Sergio who visits Doctor Godwin (Scheinmann) in Geneva to arrange his assisted suicide. He decides to leave his body to Khaled (MacGechan), a necrophiliac.

Blanco blurs the distinction between reality and fiction, underlined by the inclusion of filmed footage. While teasing us with various literary references, his own stories of male desire, friendship and eroticism don’t really land.

The focus on necrophilia, one of several taboo subjects explored by the play, is clearly intended to shock but, together with the frequent scripted asides and comments on the action, begins to pall after a while.

The actors give hugely committed performances although occasionally fluff their lines. Challenging and surreal.

Until March 2
arcolatheatre.com