Next week, as part of Edinburgh Fringe, George Mann and Ramesh Meyyappan present Ad Infinitum’s Last Rites, which will take place at Pleasance One as part of the Here & Now Showcase.
In Last Rites, audiences travel from the UK to India in a stunning fusion of visual storytelling, electrifying movement and an immersive soundscape. Last Rites has created by internationally acclaimed artists and co-creators George Mann and Ramesh Meyyappan.
With no spoken words, Last Rites features creative captions, Sign Language, and a deep, resonant soundtrack that can be felt and heard. Last Rites is accessible to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences alike.
We caught up with George and Ramesh to find out more.
Q: Tell us about Ad Infinitum!
George: Ad Infinitum is a multi-award-winning, internationally acclaimed theatre company. We collaborate to tell stories, play and disrupt. We work with artists, activists and communities to create transformative theatre, revolutionise audiences and change the world.
I am the Co-Artistic Director, alongside Nir Paldi. We are Bristol based, work internationally, and are dedicated to making accessible, inclusive and captivating theatre.
Our practice is very collaborative. This time, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of co-creating with Ramesh Meyyappan. Ramesh is a wonderful performer and theatre maker – he’s based in Glasgow, but he works all around the world and creates the most beautiful work.
Q: Tell us about Last Rites that you’re presenting, as part of the Here & Now Showcase.
Ramesh: Last Rites came out of conversations that George and I had about losing our fathers. Those discussions shaped the story and led to the creation of our character Arjun.
Arjun is dealing with grief by performing his own version of the last rites. Through this ritual, he starts to revisit memories of his father. Their relationship had love, but also growing conflict. His father had a clear idea of what his son’s future should look like but Arjun’s perspective is different.
As a Deaf person, his experience doesn’t fit into that mould. As he begins to learn sign language and explore his Deaf identity, it takes him in a different direction.
Q: Who are you collaborating with?
George: Last Rites has been such a collaborative experience. We’re working with an incredible team.
I had always envisioned having projections in the show and so we were introduced to Chris Harrisson – our Projection Designer. We weren’t sure how we would integrate visuals into physical theatre but Chris worked closely with us to create something that is both visually spectacular and doesn’t compete with Ramesh’s performance.
Ramesh: Tayo Akinbode is our Sound Designer. Since I’m profoundly Deaf, we focused on sound that can be felt as well as heard, using instruments that resonate physically. Tayo and Chris worked together to visualise these sounds through projection, so another collaborative relationship there.
George: Katie Sykes designed the set and costumes, creating an environment that allows the projections, lighting, and movement to work together seamlessly, and Ali Hunter, our lighting designer, brought it all together.
A lot of the work that everyone did was working to enhance the atmosphere, rather than disrupt other elements. Everyone on the team was committed to making the design elements fully integrated—not just technically, but creatively.
Q: Why is it important to have festivals, platforms and showcases such as Here & Now?
George: For me, I’m excited to feel part of a showcase, part of something. I’m looking forward to connecting with the other artists and their shows, and to see what arises from being in the Festival too.
I always feel so inspired being in the buzz of Edinburgh and getting to engage with other people’s creativity. I always leave wanting to make a new show.
Q: How does it feel to take your work to this festival?
Ramesh: I’m based in Glasgow so it’s fantastic to be performing in an Ad Infinitum show in Edinburgh. I wrote and performed in my work Love Beyond last year as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase, and so I can’t wait to welcome people to see Last Rites this year.
George: Ramesh and I have been lucky to bring a number of shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and it’s always exciting to be part of the atmosphere. Most recently, Ad Infinitum presented Beautiful Things in 2023.
Q: What do you hope audiences watching will experience?
Ramesh: I think the audience should expect to see different perspectives onstage to reflect that different people go through different stages of grief, and grieve, in different ways.
Whether you’ve lost a family member, a friend – any kind of loss – it’s a big event that is emotional. I hope that people can connect with that but, ultimately, I hope that they leave acknowledging the value and good they have in their life.
George: There’s something in how the show brings both Deaf and hearing audiences together in the same space. It creates a shared experience that we don’t often get in everyday life. I hope it prompts people to reflect and ask, “Why is this the first time I’ve experienced something like this?”
Last Rites is presented at Pleasance One @ Pleasance Courtyard, as part of the Here & Now Showcase from Monday 18 August – Sunday 24 August, 15:50 – 17:00. Book here.