This is Living
by Liam Borrett. Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic, June 2025.
“Well, it can’t have been me, can it?”
Alice and Michael met six years ago, Three years later their daughter Lily was born. Now, in a meadow, just past midnight, they’re having an argument – Alice is cold and tired and Michael won’t stop telling her that she died twelve years ago. Liam Borrett’s debut is an honest, poignant story that “finds joy in unexpected places” (The Reviews Hub), exploring loss, love and what it really means to say goodbye.
“Julie Shelton’s production excels at charting the emotional landscape of a couple…heartbreak, reconciliation, and despair. All of human life is packed into Borrett’s script, and each scene is carefully realised”
Kris Hallett – Life as Theatre
“I left This is Living, thinking it might be one of the best pieces of theatre I had ever seen….I was still crying as I left the theatre. I could’ve watched this show over and over again and it still not lose any of its magic”
Audience member review
“We sat outside the theatre for a long time after the performance, just trying to process what we had seen…Breathtakingly beautiful”
Audience member review
Alice – Ellie Spooner; Michael – George Usher; Director – Julie Shelton; Designer – Finn O’Grady; Voice Coach – Sue Cowen; Combat Director – Jonathan Howell; Intimacy Coordinator – Clare Fox; Production Manager – Steve O’Brien; Production Supervisor – Lucy Pharaoh; Stage Manager – Frankie Neville; Deputy Stage Manager – Abigail Georgia; Assistant Stage Manager – Jack McMahon; Lighting Designer – Sol Goddard; Sound Designer – Kit Gannon; Costume Supervisor & Maker – Izzy Wheeler; Props Supervisor – Angharad Stemp; Prop Maker – Daisy Anthony; Construction Manager – Eva Harris; Construction Assistants – Sol Goddard, Sam Hart, Max O’Malley-Mesher, Chris Wierzbiki; Carpenter – Andy Powell; Scenic Artist – Jo Browne; Photos – Edward J Felton
Julie Shelton 