Theatre show celebrates life and what we’ve missed in the pandemic
An upcoming touring theatre show celebrates things we no longer take for granted since the pandemic – friendship, togetherness and the importance of human connections and touch.
The show, Dead Good, starts a second national tour in February 2022 after sell-out performances in early 2020. Created by Vamos Theatre, the UK’s leading full mask theatre company, the show opens at The Swan Theatre, Worcester on 3rd/4th February 2022, before a 10-venue UK tour including performances in Birmingham, Colchester, Liverpool, Worthing, Bury St Edmunds and Wolverhampton.
Funny and poignant, Dead Good tells the story of Bob and Bernard, who after meeting at a hospice group, decide to hit the road together and take on one final, death-defying adventure. The show highlights the value of friendship and the importance of living every precious day to the full.
The production, which has no spoken word, features an original music score, film projection, a multi-faceted set design, and masks especially made for the show by Russell Dean of Strangeface. Dead Good is accessible to deaf and hard of hearing audiences without a signer.
Director, Rachael Savage, has researched and written the show, which has seen her meeting patients and health professionals who work in end of life care. She comments, “This show is a celebration of what everyone has been missing since the pandemic – being with friends, really making connections and caring for each other, but it also focuses on how these aspects of humanity make a crucial difference when someone is at the end of their lives. I could not have written this show without the input of so many generous and wise people, and in particular, the support of two brilliant men, Dave and Nick, both terminally ill, who shared their most intimate and precious feelings and experiences. Expect another Vamos Theatre rollercoaster and for your preconceptions to be smashed.”
The show earned many 5-star reviews during its first tour. Donald Hutera, dance and performance critic for The Times and many others, described the show as “strong… sensitive entertainment”, Tammy Gooding of BBC Hereford and Worcester as “inspiring”, and Chris Eldon Lee of Midlands What’s On calls it “a show bubbling with humour and awash with pathos.”
The company, which is well-known for its accessible and supportive learning and participation, is also offering workshops for schools during the tour (both in person and online), which give young people a taster of mask, physical theatre and devising.
Dead Good is a co-production with Corn Exchange Newbury and a co-commission with London International Mime Festival, made with support from The Leche Trust. It is suitable for audiences 12 years and upwards.
For full tour details and to book tickets visit: