A non-verbal physical performance celebrating the transformative power of grief and ritual
An ending. A beginning. A goodbye...
Combining striking visuals and physical storytelling with dynamic projection and a resonant soundtrack, Ad Infinitum’s new non-verbal solo show explores a powerful journey of love, loss, and what it means to be a parent. Co-devised by Deaf theatre maker Ramesh Meyyappan and Ad Infinitum Co-Artistic Director George Mann, Last Rites follows a man who has twenty-four hours to perform his father’s funeral rights. Created in response to Meyyappan and Mann’s memories of losing their fathers, and their own lived experiences of fatherhood, they explore how grief and ritual have a universal power.
Ramesh Meyyappan performs as intergenerational characters throughout the performance, supported by seamless projection, bass-heavy sound design and physical storytelling to create a piece accessible to d/Deaf and hearing audiences. This intimate, final ceremony brings to life a rich tapestry of shared memories and a complex relationship cut short by death.
Ad Infinitum is a multi-award-winning, internationally acclaimed theatre company. We collaborate to tell stories, play and disrupt. We work with artists, activists and communities to create transformative theatre, revolutionise audiences and change the world. Founded in 2007, Ad Infinitum is based in Bristol and works internationally. Ad Infinitum is proud to be Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic and The North Wall, and a member of the Cultural Governance Alliance (CGA).
After the performance of Last Rites at Shoreditch Town Hall on Friday 26th January, Ramesh Meyyappan will be joined in a post-show discussion by Deaf artist and theatre maker David Ellington, who is making a short film of the creation process behind Last Rites. The event will be in BSL and translated by BSL interpreters into spoken English.
Company information
Director George Mann, Co-creators Ramesh Meyyappan & George Mann
Performer Ramesh Meyyappan, Sound designer and composer Akintayo Akinbode
Set and costume designer Katie Sykes, Lighting designer Ali Hunter
Listings information
24 – 27 January Shoreditch Town Hall, London (post show talk 26 Jan)
3 – 4 February Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
Further Information: Last Rites Shoreditch Town Hall