After Life by Jack Thorne – Bringing Memories to Life at the Library Theatre, September 18-20

Now Leighton Buzzard Drama Group are bringing his play 'After Life' to the Library Theatre, Leighton Buzzard.

In this story, adapted from Hirokazu Kore-eda’s award-winning 1998 film, when people pass away they arrive in a place between life and death, where they are told to come up with a single memory which they will then keep with them for all eternity.

One of them, Beatrice, chooses to remember going out and having fun after the war - dancing with her brother. This memory is then recreated with young Beatrice and brother Harold, played by Tania and Richard Fish.

Some know instantly which memory to choose. For others, it’s a struggle. Over the course of the week, with the help of the guides who work there, each person must decide. The result is a series of stories that together form a portrait of what life is all about.

According to directors Ben Dards and Dee Denehan: We have chosen to frame the entire evening — from the way you are greeted at the theatre to the style of the programme — in the spirit of the play’s world. Cast biographies are written as memorials, not to mourn but to celebrate the lives of our performers on stage, as though they too were choosing their one memory

The original West End production in 2021 received these plaudits:

"A dazzling exploration of mortality" (Church Times)

"A compelling vision of eternity" (The Times)

"A powerful show with subtlety and tenderness" (The i).

Tickets for Thursday are £17 (Concessions £15), for Friday and Saturday £18 (Concessions £16), plus £1.25 booking fee.

Buy your tickets online via www.lbdg.org.uk or the Library Theatre website. The Theatre Box Office is also available for in person ticket purchases from 10am to midday on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Visit or call 0300 300 8125 during these hours.