On Tuesday 10 June Entry Pass members Fabienne Cheung and Davina Moss joined the professional critics to review Michael Frayn's new play Afterlife. Read on to see what they thought of the show...

Sitting in the expanse of the Lyttleton, I stared at the whitewashed stairs that dominated the entire width of the stage, and thought: ‘What the...?!'. Blakemore's set gave nothing away; neither did any music, set pieces, or props. Just a blank canvas.

I was expecting greatness; any director who is able to have the audience guessing before the play even begins merits a great deal of praise. And you're not let down.

As we're thrown into the action of Frayn's comic, touching, and startlingly insightful piece on where theatre fits into our lives from its very roots, trough the 1920s, and to the modern day, the audience was held captive by the fast-paced dialogue, the sharp wittiness of Frayn's script, and the terrifying truths of how theatre has evolved. We see this through the plight of Max Reinhardt; not simply our protagonist, but an eccentric, idealistic theatre flag-flyer, who regrettably descends from the heights of fame and fortune into the pit of American consumerism at its worst. All driven by the tensions of World War Two. What else could we ask?

The answer lies in the successful leap from script to stage; aside from Frayn's indubitable skill at drawing fearful parallels between the world's harsh realities and the power of the theatre in forcing society to reflect upon itself, Blakemore's direction and the stellar cast's monumentally energetic and nuanced performances drive the message of the play home. And you won't be left feeling as bemused as when you sat down, either; "Afterlife" is a play which fully answers all the questions it poses, and in this, is a thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable piece of theatre.

Fabienne Cheung

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Michael Frayn and Michael Blakemore have an enviable theatrical chemistry. Frayn's witty, powerful and sometimes shockingly beautiful words come to life through Blakemore's shrewd directorial choices. Afterlife, the latest offering from the pair, is another success.

The play depicts the Jewish theatre impresario Max Reinhardt by showing his life alongside the protagonist of his famous production of Everyman. The cast of the production is very strong, Roger Allam's remarkable Reinhardt is well-supported by other impressive leads including Abigail Cruttenden as his mistress and Peter Forbes as the long-suffering keeper of his books.

These talented actors and Blakemore's excellent direction, almost dance-like in its precision, create a production which walks the fine line between dark humour and a deep understanding of humanity. Reinhardt was a successful man who lost himself to dreams and layers of art - mirrored here in the gracefully sliding layers of set. And yet even in the play's bleakest moments -  as a chilling David Schofield morphs from a childishly humorous Death into an all-too-serious SS sergeant, Frayn's strong sense of comedy shines through. By the end, one can hardly see the difference between the comedy and the tragedy, and therein lies Afterlife's true genius.

Davina Moss