Funerals may be the less glamorous cousin of weddings, but unlike entering matrimony, all of us know that at some point we are definitely going to have one. Solène Weinachter was moved to explore the topic after a surreal incident at an uncle’s funeral in her native France. Her family hadn’t prepared any ‘entertainment’ for the occasion, so as the family performing artist, Weinachter found herself giving a spontaneous rendition of ‘My Way’ to a panpipe soundtrack at a dismal crematorium.  

After that, she became anxious about the preparations for her own send-off and set about using her trademark wit and ingenuity to begin developing the piece that became After All. A solo show blending dance and theatre, it oscillates between speech and movement in its imagined planning of Weinachter’s funeral, with one medium stepping in as and when the other loses its power to communicate. 

The work premiered in 2023 at the Edinburgh Fringe to great acclaim and has since been produced across the UK as well as touring in Germany, France and China, and is now being revived at Dundee Rep. However, unlike funerals, Weinachter has been able to modify the show in between its 30-plus performances, allowing it to evolve and grow. ‘I changed the music, the jokes and the rhythm of the show,’ says Weinachter. ‘So, the After All that will be performed in Dundee is the same show in one way, and in another it has grown up or matured. Like a good wine… I’m French, after all!’

After All By Solène Weinachter, Dundee Rep, Wednesday 12 February.