"The Dead House" comes to Prague

Martin Beanz Warde as Patrick, a Traveller dealing with bereavement

The Dead House is a critically acclaimed dark comedy play written and performed by Martin Beanz Warde, a prominent actor, comedian, and writer. His debut play is a powerful and moving dark comedy that explores complex themes of family, tradition, and self- acceptance. Set in the house of the deceased, the play is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of finding one’s voice and identity. This production has toured major Irish venues, including the Dublin and Galway Theatre Festivals, receiving rave reviews for its intense storytelling. You can catch an excerpt from the show here.

The one-man show begins with Patrick, neat in black jeans, black, black jacket and black Chelsea boots, addressing the fourth wall from a simple dining chair. The walls are as black as his clothes. We gather quickly that the Dead House – not a phrase our mourner enjoys – refers to the place where the deceased lies before making his trip to the graveyard. The play is a dark comedy and Patrick is a Traveller, a member of a distinct ethnic and indigenous Irish nomadic community.

Patrick eventually leaves his seat and walks us about the house. In the bathroom he encounters the dead man’s toothbrush. Elsewhere he comes across a traditional barrel-shaped caravan and considers where he came from and where he is going. The performer is best known as a stand-up comic, and much that is memorable in The Dead House could be filed under Observational Humour. Who from Ireland will not recognise his economic sketch of a domestic funeral? The men are too proud to show emotion. The women gather blackly “like crows” around the coffin.

You can catch The Dead House in Prague on March 11 - doors open at 7pm, performance at 7h30pm - at Divadlo Na Prádle - tickets available from GoOut.

In case you miss the performance in Prague, the show will be performed at an impressive number of venues during March in the region –

• 12th March, Vienna: https://off-theater.at/haus/gastspiel/

• 13th March, Bratislava: https://colorato.sk/ 

• 14th March, Budapest: https://www.brody.house/events-1 

• 15th March, Zagreb: https://teatarexit.hr/raspored-predstava/studio-exit/ 

• 18th/19th March Belgrade: https://www.dorcolplatz.rs/

• 20th March, Sarajevo: https://www.kamerniteatar55.ba/

• 21st March, Dubrovnik: https://kmd.hr/