THE DIRECTOR

“I was shaken as I left the theatre. A masterfully human performance..” – Theatrepeople

“Exceptionally good theatre…an often hilarious, intimate show that’s also a sharp evisceration of how even funerals have been captured by predatory capitalism” – Alison Croggon, The Saturday Paper

On the back of successful tours to Sydney Opera House, Finland and the UK in 2019, The Director travelled to International Theatre Festival of Kerala, India, in January 2020 and will be travelling to MONA FOMA, Platform Arts, Fusebox Festival and PS21 in 2023.

The Director is a bold new performance starring charismatic ex-funeral director of 21 years, Scott Turnbull, and artist Lara Thoms. Taking up a universal experience and taboo topic, Turnbull and Thoms demystify, expose and expand elements of the death industry, using humour and first-hand knowledge to dig a little deeper on what happens after we go. Nothing is off limits, including the smell of a crematorium, the tools of the mortuary, and driving tractors into a funeral chapel. At a time when dying costs an average of $10,000 and funerals happen within a week, death can seem like a very expensive drive-thru meal.

Blurring the roles of funeral director and theatre director, Thoms and Turnbull ask each other to perform tasks, share knowledge and give feedback on each other’s actions. Balancing macabre reality, playfulness and the tragic elements of death, the result is a spiky, funny and invigorating performance.

CREDITS