YOU ARE GOING TO DIE at Vault Festival

Performed entirely naked, YOU ARE GOING TO DIE is a nail-biting descent into the loneliness, pain and existential anxiety of our time. A surreal meditation to remind you of your impending annihilation.

Brace yourself for a shared purge, as this show illuminates the darkest corners of the human psyche, kindles compassion in the most unlikely of places, and encourages us to reemerge from these depths together with kindness and humility.

It’s fucking funny too.

I can’t deny that YOU ARE GOING TO DIE was one of my most anticipated performances at this year’s Vault festival after seeing his previous show This is Not Culturally Significant in 2017 where I declared it the best show I’d seen that year.  Thankfully I was not disappointed with Adam Scott-Rowley’s latest performance.

It’s interesting reading back through that review from six years ago now because so many of the things that I liked about that show are what makes this show so special also.  Adam Scott-Rowley’s characterisation and physicality are a wonder to behold, he moves between characters so smoothly with such careful and distinct movements you soon begin to recognise them from the way they stand alone.

His nakedness throughout the performance not only lets you see the vulnerability of these characters but the physical changes in his body as he portrays these different people.  Yet, he commands his physical space so well the audience feels at ease.  At times, words don’t even matter, the tone of voice is enough to distinguish between what they are saying and who they are.  Similarly, the eyes seem forever desperate for all the characters, perhaps seeking a human connection.

The music and lighting throughout are as intense as the performance itself, with flashing incidental and practical lighting happening often and fast-paced electronic beats building up to the start.

The characters are often sympathetic, but often their outbursts can be comical.  It’s a surreal and slightly bizarre show that isn’t going to be for everyone, it’s like strapping into a rollercoaster, you just need to go along with the ride!  YOU ARE GOING TO DIE is on at Vault Fest until the 19th of March, tickets are £17.50 for standard access and can be bought through the Vault Festival website.

Tickets to the show were gifted in exchange for a review, all words and opinions are my own