Dust gives suicide a caustic comedic treatment

Dust written and performed by Millie Thomas. Photo: Chloe Wicks

Dust a play by Millie Thomas that is a refreshing, caustic and comedic treatment of one woman’s depression, suicide and everything that happens afterwards comes to the Edinburgh Festival 2017.

A woman. A suicide. A choice. A fly on the wall. A funeral. A Bakewell tart. A life. A lie. A truth. An ending. Of sorts.

Alice thinks that life isn’t worth living. So she kills herself. Sort of. She is stuck, a fly on the wall. Forced to watch the aftermath of her suicide and its ripple effect on her family and friends, Alice quickly learns that death changes people. And that death is not the change she hoped for.

Milly Thomas said "I'm fascinated by the way we eulogise people once they've died. The way we rewrite whole lives to suit our own narratives and the use of euphemism as a masking tool of the dead never ceases to amaze me. I'm also keen to explore the way we're looking at mental health now. It strikes me that we're encouraged to disclose our mental health issues provided they're past tense or we're 'high functioning' as though we have to ensure that our illness conforms to social standards.  Whilst Dust is fiction, it's a deeply personal story".

In an unflinching examination of a suicide, this stripped-back monologue for one woman explodes the myth that death is a quiet affair, as it inspects the unavoidable practicalities, alongside the heart-wrenching decisions and pain - and the laughter.

Millie Thomas is a London-based writer and actor. Her plays include A First World Problem and Clickbait (both presented at Theatre503) and has written episodes for River City and Clique. Dust will be performed by Millie Thomas, directed by Sara Joyce, set design by Anna Reid, sound design by Max Perryment and lighting design by Jack Weir. Dust will be presented at Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly) from 3rd August at 16:40 (not 15th) and is suitable for ages 14+

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