What do you think?
Rate this book
After Life
If you could spend eternity with just one precious memory, what would it be?
A group of strangers grapple with this impossible question as they find themselves in a bureaucratic waiting room between life and death. Encouraged by enigmatic officials, they must sift through their past lives to choose their forever.
After Life , a play by Jack Thorne adapted from Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning film (concept by Bunny Christie, Jeremy Herrin and Jack Thorne), is a surreal and powerfully human look at the way we view our lives.
It was premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2021.
A group of strangers grapple with this impossible question as they find themselves in a bureaucratic waiting room between life and death. Encouraged by enigmatic officials, they must sift through their past lives to choose their forever.
After Life , a play by Jack Thorne adapted from Hirokazu Kore-eda's award-winning film (concept by Bunny Christie, Jeremy Herrin and Jack Thorne), is a surreal and powerfully human look at the way we view our lives.
It was premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2021.
- GenresPlays
80 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2022
41 people want to read
About the author
Jack Thorne
58 books92 followersJack Thorne (born 6 December 1978) is an English screenwriter and playwright.
Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, This Is England '88, This Is England '90, The Fades, The Last Panthers and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys. He currently lives in London.
Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, This Is England '88, This Is England '90, The Fades, The Last Panthers and the feature film The Scouting Book for Boys. He currently lives in London.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 20, 2022
A 3 star for the sake of reading it, potentially more if I had seen it staged.
The premise of this play is fascinating - it is basically about 'God's waiting room'. When people pass away, they find themselves in this room for a week and are assigned a worker. They need to decide on a memory that they will live on within for eternity - just one - and the workers recreate that memory for them, before they can pass on at the end of the week.
I've got to say, the premise makes it sound better than it reads. There are a bunch of people who decide to remain and work, because they cannot decide on a memory to live within. And then there are those who decide on one, leave their shoes behind, and pass over into their memory. I'd be fascinated to see the stage directions play out on stage, because they are written beautifully but not described technically.
This play represents an interesting take on life - the importance people place on certain memories, and how all we are really are an amalgamation of memories - good and bad. And how difficult it would be to decide on one memory to live on in forever.
The premise of this play is fascinating - it is basically about 'God's waiting room'. When people pass away, they find themselves in this room for a week and are assigned a worker. They need to decide on a memory that they will live on within for eternity - just one - and the workers recreate that memory for them, before they can pass on at the end of the week.
I've got to say, the premise makes it sound better than it reads. There are a bunch of people who decide to remain and work, because they cannot decide on a memory to live within. And then there are those who decide on one, leave their shoes behind, and pass over into their memory. I'd be fascinated to see the stage directions play out on stage, because they are written beautifully but not described technically.
This play represents an interesting take on life - the importance people place on certain memories, and how all we are really are an amalgamation of memories - good and bad. And how difficult it would be to decide on one memory to live on in forever.
April 18, 2025
A beautiful play about the afterlife. There is no judgement for being good or bad only the bureaucrat approach to finding a memory for the passed to live in. The cast is split into guides and the guided. The job is to find the memory and recreate its feeling by the end of the week or risk being left behind and turning into a bureaucrat. There are rules that are followed and we see some broken in some of these special cases. Two is given the case of Hiro who when he was living dated and loved Hiro’s wife prior to them meeting. He helps Hiro find a memory that honors his wife and his life. In doing so, Two (Charlie) finally finds a memory that he can use to pass on and live in that memory as well. What is to have lived and what is meaningful and comforting to us in life and after.
February 21, 2024
If you like existential spiritual stuff cooked up with extremely vague and poetic licence stage directions, then this play is for you.
I wish the writing was more colorful and less businesslike, but nevertheless this play gets its point across.
I wish the writing was more colorful and less businesslike, but nevertheless this play gets its point across.
September 11, 2023
Read because I am going to play Jill Smart in a few months and am very excited. Had a slight McDonagh feel to it which I could appreciate and am now very much looking forward to my role
December 30, 2024
Though provoking and moving. Makes me wonder what lies beyond, and what memory I would choose if I left today.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews