REVIEW: WHEN YOU PASS OVER MY TOMB by Sergio Blanco at Arcola Theatre 7 Feb – 2 Mar 2024

“An original take on love, death and desire beyond the confinements of theatre” ★★½

"When You Pass Over My Dead Tomb" commences with an unassuming approach, evoking the spontaneity of a person from the audience taking the stage. This choice fosters audience engagement, turning the play into a live, immersive experience rather than a mere spectacle. The circular grass-covered stage, reminiscent of a football pitch, along with two screens and an intriguing presence of a cow outside, prompts contemplation about its intentional placement, perhaps linking back to the play's Uruguayan roots and writer Sergio Blanco.

Three male characters intermittently grace the stage, delivering a humorous introduction to their deaths with a deadpan style that accentuates the absurdity and humor. The first half boasts a high-speed delivery, filled with jokes and facts about euthanasia and necrophilia, intricately woven into the main narrative. However, the abundance of information sometimes overwhelms the audience, leaving little time for digestion.

Sergio Blanco's exploration of donating his body to a necrophiliac instead of science becomes the central theme. The story delves into his contemplation of mortality, his potential contribution to others, and the complexities of a relationship with a necrophiliac named Khaled, opposed by his assisted suicide doctor, Doctor Godwin.

The play within a play concept, where the author is also a character, creates a matrix-like world, skillfully crafted by Blanco. However, the second half, focusing on Blanco's relationship with Khaled and his journey towards death, experiences a slowdown in tempo. Unfortunately, the pacing feels disjointed, lacking a clear sense of substance.

Despite the original and inventive writing that maintains a light-hearted tone, the play suffers from a lack of direction and an unclear narrative focus. The set design, resembling a football pitch, feels out of sync and fails to create a suitable atmosphere, diverting attention from the intended themes. The delivery of the text, though potentially a stylistic choice, gives the impression of the actors struggling to integrate it naturally. While understanding this may be subjective, casting an actor of Hispanic heritage as the author could have added an extra layer to the character.

Although the play bravely tackles controversial and absurdist themes, offering detailed depictions and thorough research on necrophilia, there is a notable absence of a satisfying payoff for the audience's curiosity. Sergio Blanco, portrayed as his own Frankenstein on the path to the destruction of his creations and himself, leaves the audience questioning, "What's next?" Unfortunately, the play concludes with a sense of emptiness, lacking a fulfilling resolution.

WHEN YOU PASS OVER MY TOMB by Sergio Blanco

Adapted and Directed by Daniel Goldman

7 February – 2 March 2024 

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL 

02075031646

Box Office  https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/when-you-pass-over-my-tomb/

Cast: Al Nedjari, Charlie MacGechan, Danny Scheinmann

Reviewed by Jess Gonzalez