Soho Theatre, London – until Saturday 17th March. Reviewed by Jessica Brady
5*****
Dust – written and performed by Milly Thomas
I have witnessed something very special at Soho Theatre, something I went in not knowing what to expect apart from a one woman show. It was much more than that and I can say wholeheartedly I am moved very deeply.
Milly Thomas has written a clever and insightful play about more than just suicide, she has written something that I’m sure many people would be interested to know in the aftermath of such tragedy. The script is full of rich, beautiful language and I defy anyone not to watch this and feel something powerful.
The subject, is it dark? Yes. Is it sad? Absolutely! But there is also a lot of laughter that comes from many an inappropriate joke or anecdote which breaks up the tragic undertones.
Alice (Milly Thomas) takes her own life having suffered for years with a crippling depression and a previous suicide attempt. The play begins with the post-mortem, Alice is looking at her body and begins to unravel all that comes from taking your own life. She encounters all the people that are close to her and their grief to the point where she feels she has made a mistake but it’s too late. Alice could not appreciate the life she had, the people, the connections, but in death she is trying to cling on to the way she wants them to be in her life but to no avail. We see her family, her boyfriend, her best friend all trying to come to terms with it and also them trying to move on, but Alice can’t move on, she is stuck watching the rest of their lives whilst she is in limbo.
Milly Thomas has undoubtedly got such an immense talent for writing (I bought the play after the show because I loved Dust so much). She has incredible skill in writing truth and in language that you understand and connect with. The passion in which she performs is stella and breath taking, playing the constant (Alice) as well as all the other characters with such amazing skill that you just become engrossed and mesmerised by her.
The sound, the lighting, the set all work in tandem to create perfection and it’s incredibly effective to the point where you become lost in the world that you are watching which I think is so impressive.
The direction by Sara Joyce, is flawless with every beat being hit with full force, whether it’s the comedic aspect, the pace, the tragedy, it all just works.
I strongly urge you to watch Dust, not just because it’s amazing, but because, as Milly mentions in her bow, it’s about creating conversations around these difficult issues, depression, anxiety, suicide and stopping the stigma that surrounds them. By not talking, we are killing ourselves.