From the play by Kinetic Energy Theatre Company WHO LIVES ?!

Inspired by an Egyptian papyrus text dating from 2200 BC: “The Dialogue of a World-Weary Man with his Ba” (Soul). It describes how a man, weary of life, is confronted by his soul when he prepares for suicide. Their collision brings about a profound change in how the man perceives life. The text was written in a time of extreme social, political and spiritual upheaval. It parallels our present time of unrest, war, corruption, alienation and high incidence of suicide, and the urgent search for change and transformation. In adapting the Egyptian text to a contemporary setting, we explored the themes of mental illness and suicide. In contemporising the concept of the Ba, we explored a modern understanding of the non-physical side of our being. In this, we were influenced by Helmuth Jacobsohn’s Jungian interpretation of the papyrus text, and the research of Dr Raymond Moody into the Near-Death-Experience.

“One of the most haunting theatrical experiences for quite a while – theatre for those who can bear a little more reality than most; for those who enjoy a brush with the timeless moment, a glimpse of eternity and a sense of the stillpoint of the turning world.” (Brian Hoad, The Bulletin, 22-6-1993)