Overview
Synopsis
A mistake occurs in The Place You Go After You Die, and the airman Peter Carter lives when he shouldn’t. This makes matters a bit complicated, as Peter meets a girl and falls in love in the few extra hours of life that he’s given. When asked to die a day later, Peter argues that because of someone else’s mistake, “I am now in love. I’m in an entirely different position from last night. I expected to die, I was ready to die. It’s not my fault that I didn’t.” In order to live, “Peter is forced to take himself, and the heavenly authorities, to the Universal Court of Appeal” where life and death, and the choices made in regards to them, are debated and deliberated.
In the end, as A Matter of Life and Death has two endings (one in which he lives, and one in which he dies), Peter Carter’s fate is literally decided by the toss of a coin.
Show Information
- Book
- Tom Morris , Emma Rice
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2007
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- on earth - great britain 1945, between life and death - in the other world
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Small
- Dancing
- Optional
- Ideal For
- professional theatre, university theatre, high school theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen, Mature Adult Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Either Gender |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Countertenor, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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