Suria is sitting at a table in a restaurant near the hotel, as part of a much-needed family getaway to Turkey, and is deflecting the advances of an overly-familiar and inappropriate waiter who has taken a shine to her. There’s just her, her two children, and the empty chair. The chair is empty because this is Suria and her children’s first family holiday as a three rather than a four, due to the passing of her husband. What should be the break her family needs has quickly become the worst holiday they’ve ever had, as she is forced to endure the sympathetic head tilts, the frequent inquiries as to her wellbeing, and the unsolicited advice she finds people tend to give. Even in Turkey, there’s no getting away from her newly-aquired status of ‘widow’.
Written by
Rae Mainwaring and directed by Omar Khan, A Beginner’s Guide to Widowhood is a one-woman play performed by Liz Jadav and explores exactly what it means to suffer huge personal loss, the toll it takes on those closest to the deceased as well as what it takes to navigate grief – from the empty chair at the dinner table – to the constant reminders of pain, such as Suria publicly breaking down when hearing a song that reminds her of her partner. Liz’ versatile and powerful performance captures both the despair and the hope she feels in such a profound loss as well as the gradual healing and baby steps taken towards rebuilding in the face of it all. It will undoubtedly resonate with many, many people.
