Attending an ex’s funeral is never going to be a fun experience. However, in the perfect balance between hilarious and heartbreaking, Youth Infringement Festival’s Four Exes and a Funeral perfectly demonstrated when secrets are revealed, this situation may take a turn for worse or for better.
After her sudden death, Maddie’s funeral brings four of her exes—John, Cassie, Luca and Jamie—together. While the exes differ in opinion and share their grief, they quickly realize Maddie may not have been who they thought she was. Written by Samantha Perry, this witty play shows the importance of closure and the inevitability of letting go and moving on.
Quick-witted yet bittersweet, Four Exes and a Funeral is spellbinding. Actors made great use of the stage with excellent blocking and shared an undeniable chemistry. In this fast-paced plot, it didn’t take long to realize which characters would get along, and which ones would not.
In the role of John, Luke McCaskill brought passion, a consistent European accent and heavy sadness to his character. McCaskill dominated the stage, particularly during his arguments with other characters, as he clearly depicted a pained, angry and confused character who thought he was Maddie’s future.
As Luke started to calm down throughout the play, McCaskill made this character development all the more real with softened movements and facial expressions as his character learned to manage his grief.
Contrasting McCaskill’s dark and brooding performance, Amelia Alam portrayed Cassie with vibrance. If McCaskill’s anger was black and grim, Alam’s anger was red and explosive. Her voice raised considerably when she was angry, and her frustration was evident during arguments with John. Yet Alam also showed Cassie’s true soft side with warmth and softness, giving her true character a gateway to shine through.
Mika Argyle gave a sarcastic and nonchalant performance as Luca as he casually leaned against chairs and even pulled out a guitar to play a song. Clearly multi-talented, Argyle’s drawl matched their character perfectly. With impeccable comedic timing, they left the audience in hysterics while still showing their character’s sensitivities and confessing to their mistakes.
Theresa Graham illustrated a panicked picture of new parent Jamie. Starting off the play nearly as laid back as Luca, Graham slowly let their character slip into panic as their wife went into labour. With clearly anxious physicality, Graham portrayed their anticipation by bouncing and scurrying around the stage while gasping with excitement. Overall, they brilliantly depicted a mixture of joy, fear and humour.
The costumes were very different and unique to each character. Each outfit accurately mirrored every character’s personality—Luca’s guitar was strapped to their back, while John wore a suit. While some pieces of the set, such as extra furniture that actors didn’t interact with, were not completely necessary, the scene of the funeral reception was well reflected, complete with a buffet and many tables and chairs.
The cast of Four Exes and a Funeral gave a captivating performance filled with energy and hilarity. From the characters’ heavy silences to their angry outbursts, it was hard to turn away. This play goes to show that ending up at an ex’s funeral may not be the nightmare it is shaped up to be. There may be arguing, laughter and tears, but closure may be granted and letting go may finally feel possible.
Featured image provided by Youth Infringement Festival.
