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I Can Die Too review – vibrant pop songs can’t bring actor’s tale to life
The review finds that I Can Die Too showcases Frances Ruffelle’s strengths as a singer but fails to make its theatrical story compelling. Its original, retro-styled pop songs are praised as lively and well performed, yet the drama around an actor rehearsing Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine is judged unclear and underdeveloped.
The production, written by Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming, follows Lily as she interrupts rehearsals with memories of past relationships and family life. Five musicians provide accompaniment and play backstage staff, while Stephen Ashfield appears as Lily’s director; however, the reviewer says their conflicts feel unconvincing and a late mother-daughter storyline arrives too late to gain emotional force. Despite polished staging and apparent ambitions beyond Pitlochry Festival Theatre, the review concludes that stronger writing is needed.
In short
- Ruffelle’s pop performances impress, but the drama lacks clarity.
- Cocteau-inspired premise becomes muddled and emotionally distant.
- Polished production needs a more developed script.
Explained simply
"I Can Die Too" is a theatrical production that combines original pop songs with dramatic storytelling. It centres on a character called Lily who rehearses for a production of "La Voix Humaine", a 20th-century French play, whilst reflecting on past relationships and family memories.
The production was created by Frances Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming, with Ruffelle starring in the lead role. The work features five musicians who both provide musical accompaniment and appear as characters in the story, alongside actor Stephen Ashfield as Lily's director.
The piece is an experimental theatrical work that mixes music, drama and narrative in an unconventional format. It is being staged at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland, a venue known for hosting new and ambitious theatrical projects.
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