In 2015, Dr James Mannion wrote The Angel of Death Will See You Now – now, ten years later, it has been revitalised and rewritten and opens at Brighton Fringe this week.
“Brighton’s very own rock musical trailblazers, Trim Tab Productions, return to the Fringe with their most audacious show yet. Combining electrifying live music, scythe-sharp dark comedy and a devilish dose of interactive silliness, this is a theatrical experience like no other. Get ready to laugh, quiz, and rock out as though your life depends on it – because it very well might…”
Where: Brighton Unitarian Church / Ironworks Studio A (28 May)
When: 4 May, 10-11 May, 22 May, 28 May, 1 Jun
Ticket link: https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/the-angel-of-death-will-see-you-now/
James takes up the scythe to open up the pearly gates for us.
Can you tell us a bit about your new show?
The Angel of Death Will See You Now… is a surreal rock musical set in Death’s waiting room. It’s a kind of twisted purgatory where one man is judged through a series of darkly comic trials. There’s music, mayhem, and some big questions about life, free will and the state of the world. Think gentle game of ‘justify your existence’ meets gig theatre.
It’s a big anniversary for Brighton Fringe this year – what do you like most about it?
I’ve lived in Brighton for 25 years and I absolutely love the anything-goes energy of Brighton Fringe. It’s a place where you can take creative risks, do something weird and wonderful, and know there’ll be an audience up for the ride. It’s full of heart, full of human connection – and it always feels like the perfect home for a show like this.
Your show is celebrating its own 10th anniversary – what felt right about bringing it back now?
It’s wild that it’s been ten years! The world’s changed a lot in that time – as have we! It just felt like the right moment to revisit it, give it a new edge – more than an edge, it’s more or less a complete rewrite – and to explore how its themes hit differently in 2025. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun to perform – and we’ve got a brilliant new cast and band bringing it to life, backed by a 10-piece all-female choir. It’s pretty epic!
What else is in the pipeline after these shows?
We’d love to tour this show – it feels like it’s finally come of age and has become the production it was always destined to be. Let’s see what people make of it and then we’ll consider next steps. But I feel like this thing might just be growing legs…
Sell us your show in three words!
Quiztastic. Reality-bending. Rock’n’roll. (Is that cheating?!!)