The Director

APHIDS Jeff Khan
Presented in partnership with Performance Space

At a time when dying costs an average of $10,000 and funerals happen within a week, death can seem like a very expensive drive-thru meal.

The Director is a bold new performance starring charismatic ex-funeral director of 21 years, Scott Turnbull, and artist Lara Thoms. Taking up a universal experience and taboo topic, Turnbull and Thoms demystify, expose and expand elements of the death industry, using humour and first-hand knowledge to dig a little deeper on what happens after we go. Nothing is off limits, including the smell of a crematorium, the tools of the mortuary, and driving tractors into a funeral chapel.

Blurring the roles of funeral director and theatre director, Thoms and Turnbull ask each other to perform tasks, share knowledge and give feedback on each other’s actions. Balancing macabre reality, playfulness and the tragic elements of death, the result is a spiky, funny and invigorating performance.

Lead artist: Lara Thoms

Co-creator: Scott Turnbull

Design: Katie Sfetkidis

Dramaturgs: Aaron Orzech and Lz Dunn

Sound: Kenneth Pennington

Producer: Anna Nalpantidis

Show Director: Mish Grigor

The Director is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body and Creative Victoria through its Organisation Investment Program. It was originally presented by Arts House through the City of Melbourne as part of CultureLAB. APHIDS would also like to acknowledge the generous support from partners for this tour; including MONA, Platform Arts and PS21.