The kaleidoscopic structure of Jane Bodie’s new play This Year’s Ashes which is currently on at Griffin Theatre Company paints an ambiguous, poignant and intriguing portrait of a young woman in the city of Sydney. Making her way through the urban jungle whose vines and trees are too twisted and crowded for her liking, This Year’s Ashes is a story about grief, survival and human relationships. 

Stuck in a web spun by her own imagination and deep-rooted grief, Ellie (or Els as she definitely does not prefer) is finding it hard to untangle herself and make sense of what has happened to her in the past and present. Being in Marketing, Ellie is accustomed to selling superfluous products to people, however she soon finds even herself a hard customer when it comes to reality, life in Sydney and connecting with people.

The tale takes unexpected turns and makes cheeky winks and nudges at the audience, both in relation to plot, time and the element that lightens the heavy load of Ellie’s turmoil; humour. 

Griffin is always a theatre company that ensures fantastic theatre, showcasing fresh new talent and ground breaking contemporary works. This Year's Ashes is no exception to that rule. Cerebral, poignant and sexual, Bodie's play strikes all the keys. With strong performances from Belinda Bromilow, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Nathan Lovejoy, this is a production not to miss.