Plays about grief and loss are very popular across the Edinburgh Fringe most years. It’s a way for creatives to share their experiences for many different reasons. I think for many, it is part of their grieving and healing journey.
However, Widow by Joanna Lowe tells the story of what happened before and after the death of her husband, who was and still is the love of her life.
The love, warmth, and immense grief are shared to the audience in equal measures. It’s the raw and laid bare reality of the emptiness that’s left behind after your world is torn apart and you’re left lost and heartbroken. No longer knowing who you are without them.
There’s a section about the five rules on what not to say to someone who is grieving. Yes, I agreed with all of them. From not asking, “How are you?” To telling them “You will meet someone else?” Seriously, in these situations, you’re better off saying absolutely nothing rather than compounding the pain further with insensitive comments.
Lowe has created a beautiful tribute to her late husband through the play. Although she lost him through a car accident five years ago, you can feel her devotion towards him is still as deep as when they were together. I defy anyone to leave this play without at least having a lump in their throat.
I especially liked the box of keepsakes that Lowe has kept and explained to the audience where each of them had come from. When all we have left is memories in whatever form, treasure them.
It is the first play I have seen that tackles grief head-on with an honesty that will move you. Lowe doesn’t want your sympathy she wants you to understand the truth behind how those left behind will be feeling after the funeral, and a new uncharted and unwanted normal begins.
For more information about Widow and other productions across Edinburgh Fringe, please use the link below.
Four Stars.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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