After life Flashcards
(6 cards)
After Life information
Performed at the National theatre in 2021
Directed by Jerrimy Herrin
Adapted by Jack Thorne
Set design was by Bunny Christie
Set design
Thrust stage - Audience on three sides - very intimate atmosphere - makes it seem as though audience is part of the after life ‘processing centre’
Minimalistic/symbolic set desing - filing cabinates - all black - creating a very beurocratic afterlife
Set design moment (at the begging of the production)
The stage is cluttered however symultaniously carfully arranged - rows of filing cabinets - bureaurocratic nature of the afterlife - Death is treated like paper work
floor is dusty looking - almost looks like a concrete floor - gives a very raw and indsutrial vibe to it
Muted colours like grey, black, dusty blues and brown - shows the unwelcoming atmosphere and the tonality of death
Everything feels used and old
All of this is symbolic to their interpretation of how memory is tangable - stored and sorted, yet fragile and organised - very effective in establishing the blunt mood straight away.
Acting (Anna talking about when she was dancing with her brother)
Movement:
Her body opens up slightly — small smile, gentle hand movements mimicking the dance.
She shifts her weight lightly, almost swaying on the spot.
Voice:
A softer, lighter tone emerges compared to her earlier guarded speech.
Slight laugh or breathy chuckle when she mentions her brother.
Facial Expression:
Brief spark of happiness — eyes light up slightly — then fade quickly as she pulls herself back into the present, showing that the memory is both joyful and painful.
Pace:
Her speech briefly quickens when describing the movement, showing excitement, then slows down again as reality intrudes.
All of this is effective in suggesting how she had few happy moment with in her life and stuggled throughout her lifetime
Lighting ( moment where interview rooms are formed via lights)
How the lights behave:
Narrow beams of light “slide” horizontally across the stage like drawn curtains.
They create small, focused rectangular spaces that separate each character.
The edges of the light are sharp — very defined — creating a clinical, bureaucratic atmosphere.
Colour:
Cold white/blue light — stark, not warm or emotional at all.
Transition:
Lighting changes are sudden but smooth, precisely timed with the draw/click mechanical sound effect.
Mechanical sounds (like the squeak or shift of old furniture or filing cabinets) emphasise the feeling that memory selection is a cold, organised process.
Sound ( very very begging of play)
🎶 Detailed Sound Breakdown:
Elephants:
Large, majestic, ancient creatures — symbolise the natural world, memory, and the weight of existence.
Elephants are often connected with memory (the saying “an elephant never forgets”), which fits the play’s focus on choosing a memory.
Race Cars:
High-speed, modern, mechanical — symbolising the rush of life, urgency, progress, and the fleeting passage of time.
Race cars suggest the fast pace of human life contrasted against the stillness of the afterlife.
✨ Symbolism:
The Beginning and End of Everything:
Before anything begins (even before the set or actors are visible), the sounds of life are already echoing — suggesting that all experiences, all memories, all of existence are still active, swirling around in the void.
The elephants represent the origin of life — the ancient, primal part of being alive.
The race cars represent the end — the speed and inevitable rush towards death.
Memory and Imagination:
By mixing real (papers, cabinets) and surreal (elephants, race cars) sounds, the production blurs memory, dream, and reality — just as the characters must do when selecting one memory.
Existential Liminality:
The characters and audience are placed between life and death, hearing both ancient natural sounds and modern mechanical sounds at once — everything and nothing coexisting.
