The play’s title is thankfully explained in the narrative – your reviewer had a Protestant upbringing so has never had a deep understanding of purgatory, a Roman Catholic doctrine whereby a person, after they have died, is in a state of punishment for past sins until such time as their soul is pure enough to enter Heaven. The whys and wherefores of the process are available elsewhere online (purgatory has its own Wikipedia page), though for the purposes of this production, the play’s title is also the title of a novel written by Eric Lee (Jun Noh). May (Marina Hata), who used to go out with Eric, has bought a copy, and has taken sufficient interest in it to have Post-It notes coming out of it.
But as it has been some years since they have met, May can’t just launch straight into cross-examination. After their breakup, Eric identified as gay, and May went on to marry Harry, a mutual friend, though he (Harry) died a premature death, and even that was a decade ago. I’m not wholly convinced the show play is the ‘psychological thriller’ it claims to be – I wasn’t exactly on the edge of my seat eagerly waiting the outcome of proceedings.
Chalk lines are literally drawn marking out the boundaries between Eric and May – when May eventually asserts that there is a likeness between a character in Eric’s novel and a ‘real life’ person, Eric counters the character in question is really an amalgamation of various people rather than being based on one solitary figure. There are subtle performances from both actors – nobody, to the best of my recollection, rants and raves, though there seemed to be a power struggle going on even after the proverbial gloves have come off and some truths have come to light. A thoughtful and introspective piece of theatre.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Things Between Heaven and Earth is a psychological thriller that depicts the aftermath of a widow discovering her husband’s affair and murder through a book written by their close friend, exposing everything to the whole world. This explosive descent into human psychology explores the things we thought we knew and the truth that prevails. It delves into grief, betrayal and the complications that fuel uncertainty around relationships. The show echoes themes of classics popularized in The Talented Mr. Ripley and Rosemary’s Baby.
Eric – Jun Noh
May – Marina Hata
Written and produced by Jun Noh
Directed by Joanna Rosenfeld
THINGS BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
Underbelly Bristo Square at the Edinburgh Fringe
8 to 26 August 2024
Shows & events booking now for Edinburgh Playhouse and Shows & events booking now for King’s Theatre Glasgow.
