Reviews

The Mourning Party

The premise behind this play is that the assassination of US President John Kennedy brings together three strangers from different walks of life in a small town in Indiana. They gather and have a drink in a bar to mourn and reflect on the loss of the President. During the course of the discussions, their feelings of inadequacy are contrasted with the dreams and aspirations espoused by JFK.

This contemplative work by writer Anna Forsyth is an opportunity to examine how people rely on leaders to provide them with hopes and dreams. The loss of a great leader then becomes a convenient scapegoat for failed aspirations.

While the play is a fragment and is part of a larger work, it is enjoyable nevertheless. The performances by the three actors (Euan Forsyth, George Ronayne and Abby Gorton) are engaging and varied and avoid the typical cliches and parodying of small town American accents and personalities.

A moment in time to savour at the Fringe.

– Paul Ewing