How To Be Immortal (Salford)

I’ve never seen anything like Penny Dreadful’s production of How to be Immortal by Mira Dovreni which is unashamedly about death.

You must concentrate to digest the scientific facts. If you do, you will understand how the demise of a black woman, Henrietta Lacks, in 1951 has affected us all. Dovreni’s true story is in three parts.

The first is scientific. Without her family’s permission, Henrietta’s cells were extracted and frozen, eventually leading to a treatment for many medical conditions. We see cells reproducing on a screen – a mind boggling experience..
The second shows the effect on Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, only two when her mother died.

Thirdly, we meet Rosa and Mick. Rosa has their baby when Mick is suffering from terminal cancer. Rosa is a musician. Anna-Helena McLean who plays her is an accomplished cellist. John McKeever’s Mick plays the ukele and the squeeze box which makes for a fascinating combination.

He masters two roles – that of Dr George Gey, the scientist. and the dying Mick. Clare Perkins as Deborah indicates she cares about her mother, who, to her, is more than a collection of cells. Clare plays other roles, too, clearly differentiating her characters.

It's not quite flawless though, as it's not always easy to distinguish between the past and the present despite the display of dates.

I wouldn’t have missed this play if only for the music, but perhaps a little more emotion could have been shown by actors whose characters are in a desperate situation.

How To Be Immortal is at the Lowry until 21 March.

– Julia Taylor