Casserole – A Captivating Play about Grief, Love and Letting Go – Actors East Theatre

A Review by Ella Rowdon

‘Why does everybody want to throw everything away? Why does no one want to fix anything anymore?’

When Dom heats up the frozen casserole Kate’s mother left for her before she passed away ten months prior, they are forced to confront their grief, their destructive behaviours, and, ultimately, the unravelling of their relationship.

Produced and assistant directed by Avital Lvova and performed in the intimate setting of the Actors East Theatre in Dalston, Casserole begins with a scene depicting the very essence of destruction – we follow Dom (played by James Alexandrou, who also directed the show) as he relentlessly drinks and smokes to loud, defiant music; tripping and stumbling around a room which is littered with empty beer cans and pizza boxes (set designers Pauline Camacho and Paul Weedle did an amazing job at capturing this sort of hedonistic chaos) attempts to fix his broken bicycle wheel, and ends the sequence by passing out on the sofa.

Perfectly timed and exquisitely delivered, Kate’s (Kate Flood) tentative entrance into the room, with her shock slowly evolving into anger as she surveys the room and locks eyes on her unconscious boyfriend, is simultaneously as awkward and tense as it is comedically sound. This encapsulates the atmosphere of Casserole perfectly – the audience are completely uncomfortable, horrified but also enamoured and entertained by this couple, who are completely toxic and definitely in need of intense therapy but are also completely in love with – and/or unhealthily co-dependant – on each other.

The play takes place on the day of Kate’s late mother’s birthday. Kate is devastated by the continuous ‘signs’ she receives, believing they intend to communicate a message to her. The ultimate message, however, is in the reveal of the elephant in the freezer, - albeit in casserole form.

While Casserole is a loud play – it has an abundance of ruthless exclamations and insults, shameful admissions, and abrasive accusations - it is most beautiful during its silences. The moments after the screaming match, where they hold each other, exchange little smiles across the room, when they wordlessly wipe down the table together. Every word, expression and movement is captivating, thanks to the naturalistic and explosive dialogue, but also to the undeniable talent of Flood and Alexandrou in their ability to execute these nuances.

Casserole depicts two people who are mirrors of each other; reflecting one another’s guilt, shame, low self-esteem, and the fear of being left – throwing them back and forth like a burning spotlight. Each time it hits, the impact wears them away and bares the skeletons of their relationship. The audience are cathartically brought along for the journey, feeling every blow, stifling uncomfortable laughs, and sometimes shedding tears. But what makes Casserole so poignant are that these emotions are universal experiences that resonated with the audience so palpably.

We all want to be loved; we all want to be understood. Life intervenes and thrusts upon us impossible situations to contend and deal with. It tests our capacity for compassion, for humility.

Casserole asks – how much is too much? How far can we go until this can no longer be fixed? Dom fixing his bicycle wheel suddenly becomes one of the most important images in the play – when he asks; ‘why does everybody want to throw everything away?’ it emphasises this desire to fight, to try, to hold onto what is left so as not to lose everything.

Casserole ultimately poses the painful and debilitating question –

When should things be fixed, and when is it time to let go?

Casserole is being performed from the 24th – 27th May 2023 at the Actors East Theatre.