2015DEADMAN_N6-2What do you do when a dead man’s cell phone is ringing? Do you: A) Ignore it? B) Call an ambulance? Or C) Answer it? Jean chooses the latter. And in doing so, becomes entangled in the enigmatic, somewhat morally corrupt, life of Gordon Gottlieb.

She is a do-gooder through and through; lying to Gordon’s loved ones so his memory isn’t tarnished and continuing to answer his constantly ringing phone, politely asking if she can take a message that will never be delivered. She so badly wills him to have been a good man, but her opinion is tainted when she begins to learn more about a man she never knew.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone forces us to evaluate our relationships with our phones. It has a similar theme to shows such as I wish I was Lonely: in the modern age, we’re never more than 10cm away from our mobiles. Dead Man’s Cell Phone explores this using eccentric characters and quirky humour, and even the most tender moments are interrupted by incessant ringing. It’s the curse of the modern era. The two lovers lean in for their seminal first kiss, the music swells, the audience inhales… and bang. Phone rings. Marimba is playing from someone’s iPhone and the moment is slaughtered.

Mother Gottlieb makes the very valid point that there are now three places left where people won’t answer their phones: churches, theatres and on the toilet. Even that’s not strictly true anymore. And when she sings a haunting rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, and she’s right, we won’t, thanks to our trusty phones.

The plot of Dead Man’s Cell Phone does get a little convoluted towards the end, but it’s thought-provoking to say the least. It brings to mind those sobering questions that have arisen with the rise of social media and 24/7 connectivity. What happens to your Facebook profile when you die? What will your last tweet be? Does your phone ever stop ringing? When we’re six feet under, will people still call telling us we might be owed PPI?

Dead Man’s Cell Phone disguises thought-provoking issues of communication and loss with a quirky, eccentric storyline. Worth a watc– sorry, can I just take this call…

Dead Man’s Cell Phone is playing at Underbelly Cowgate (venue 61) until August 23. For more information, visit the Fringe website.