Don’t ‘ghost’ Ghosting The Party at the Drill Hall
‘No-one ever came back but all reports indicate it’s lovely,’ and so begins this wickedly funny play about death and motherhood. Directed by the Drill’s accomplished artistic director, Liz Chance, Ghosting the Party tells the story of three generations of women who face questions of mortality and life with rigour, honesty and humour.
This sharply intelligent play written by internationally-renowned Australian writer Melissa Bubnic premiered at the Griffin Theatre in 2022. ‘Bubnic’s writing is poetic and punchy in this pitch-black comedy. At rehearsals, we have been moved to tears with laughter and love for the recognisable situations that these three feisty, independent women find themselves in,’ says Chance.
Ghosting The Party begins with Liz Chance (who is directing and narrating the play) telling jokes about the best and worst ways to die. Returning home from her sister’s funeral, Grace the contentious matriarch (Sonia Borenstein) has decided, at 87, her time has come. She’s ready to leave the party and wants independence and freedom to make her own choices. Her recently divorced and devoted daughter Dorothy (Gabrielle Le Brun) is not impressed by her mother’s suicidal ruminations, and is determined to help her see the light. Dorothy’s daughter, Suzie (Holly Matheson) is sympathetic to her grandmother’s state and humours Grace in her ideations, but is distracted by her high-pressure marketing job in Montreal and the lure of a ‘happier life’ that beckons her return. Rachael Gorham (who starred in The Almighty Sometimes), returns to the Drill Hall stage as Suzie’s powerhouse Montréalité marketing mentor. Veteran actor Charles Hambling, plays the recently bereaved Eric and hopeful love interest of Dorothy.
Ghosting The Party is full of life, laugh-out-loud moments and intensity. The challenging topics of death, suicide, aging and family dynamics are handled with consideration, artfulness and hilarity by a skillful production team.
Bubnic’s writing is brilliant, provocative and thoroughly entertaining. The characters are honest with their compromises, mistakes, and disappointments and are brought to life by a stellar cast.
‘Our final moments don’t need to be sombre’, says Chance. ‘This play pulls no punches, but facing the Grim Reaper has never been so funny’. Ghosting the Party premieres the completed stage and infrastructure upgrade at the Drill Hall Theatre proudly funded by the NSW Government.
Ghosting the Party runs from May 2 to 19, Thursdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, and Sundays at 5pm. For bookings go to drillhalltheatre.org.au.
