Momentum Theatre discuss what we don’t talk about in If Not Now, When? workshop

“I dunt like it when you talk abart it”

As we continue to work through our read through, discussing the context of this play in light of what is happening in the world today, we found that this week we raised the question, “what do we avoid talking about?” Grief and death were at the focus of this question in response to the following lines from the two main characters, siblings, Liam and Chelsey:

Liam: And you dunt have to say owt either. But I know this int reyt.

Chelsey: Yeah. I dunt like it when you talk abart it me. Makes me feel reyt uncomfortable. Like, dya know when you see two toothbrushes kiss. It’s exactly like that.

Liam: No it’s not mate.

What Liam is talking about here is the lack of discussion that they have surrounding the death of their mother and their avoidance of expressing their grief together.

Initially I asked the cast and creatives, “what doesn’t Chelsey want to talk about regarding her mum?” but the conversation developed, and we began to consider what we don’t always address generally in society and the funny things we keep to ourselves.  This helped to develop thoughts about the little things we miss about people we lose and how a small thing can become a precious memory; sometimes too hard to talk about, sometimes something to laugh out loud about.

Two of the cast, Freya and Ryan have recorded their responses to this which you can listen to below: