Told from Angelique's perspective, the script depicts an entire community from a single voice, introducing family members, carers, teachers and friends with assured clarity. It balances humour and heartbreak, making room for warmth and optimism to flourish without diminishing the harsh realities of Angelique's circumstances.
Dennis-Edwards also gives the monologue a compelling musicality. While much of Angelique's narration is grounded in naturalistic speech, it frequently slips into lyrical passages that borrow from spoken word poetry, hip hop and rap. These rhythmic shifts feel like an extension of Angelique's inner world, where anger, happiness and rawness erupt with heightened intensity. The language becomes as expressive as the emotions it conveys, with everyday experiences becoming something absorbing, urgent and affecting.
Dennis-Edwards approaches some of the most confronting aspects of Angelique's life, including her sexual assault, with sensitivity and honesty. The play does not sensationalise or soften this, instead allowing it to exist with the complexity it deserves. With careful writing and restraint, it's acknowledged as part of Angelique's journey without defining her, reinforcing the strength and resilience at the heart of her character.
Lucy Ansell is a marvel as Angelique, drawing us into her life as it fractures and gradually begins to heal. She navigates Dennis-Edwards' shifting rhythms with remarkable ease, moving between naturalistic speech, spoken word and rap with a natural confidence. Ansell imbues every line with purpose, making every word carry weight and meaning. Whether buoyed by hope or overwhelmed by despair, she ensures Angelique remains complex, charismatic and human.
Candy Bowers' economical and immersive direction occupies a small section of the stage. She uses this restriction to establish a dynamic of intimacy and containment, bringing our focus solely on Angelique. Yet within these limitations, she creates space for freedom. Movement is purposeful, with each gesture conveying something about Angelique's feelings, memories or circumstances. Bowers pulls the audience so completely into the story that laughter, shock and empathy are shared between performer and audience. We aren't simply watching Angelique recount her past; we feel as though we have been invited into her world and entrusted with her truths.
The lighting design by Kyra Ryan is a vital storytelling device, using colour, movement and contrast to illuminate the inner landscape of the play. Coloured LEDs, with varying hues and patterns signal changes in time, scenes and characters, allowing transitions to unfold with exceptional fluidity while revealing Angelique's emotions and memories.
Christian Biko's sound design and composition operate in harmony with the lighting, drawing us further into Angelique's world. The music heightens her journey, supporting moments of joy, tension and vulnerability while solidifying our connection to her experiences. Together, the sound and lighting shape a work that feels constantly alive with both elements serving Angelique's voice.
Funeral Flowers is a powerful exploration of survival, resilience and the search for possibility in circumstances that often deny it. Dennis-Edwards handles sexual violence and systemic racism with honesty and care, that acknowledges the impact of trauma without reducing Angelique to it. Through its writing, performance and direction, the production becomes an intensely human portrayal of a young woman reclaiming her story and refusing to be defined by what has happened to her.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: Red Stitch, 2 Chapel St, St. Kilda East
Season: until 23 August | Tues - Wed 6:30pm, Thur - Sat 7:30pm, Sun 6:30pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $69 Full | $48 Concession | $35 Student/Under 30s
Bookings: Red Stitch
Images credit: Jess D'Cruz
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