Actor-writer grandson evokes the psychological and emotional impact of military service on his grandfather during and after the Second World War

UK Theatre Award Nominee 2022: Best New Play

Written, performed and with an original score by Richard Clements Directed by Matthew McElhinney

Pleasance (Jack Dome), 4 – 27 August 2023 (not 16), 11:50 (12:50),12+ REVIEWABLE FROM: Thursday 3 August 2023

The sanity of war becomes the insanity of domesticity as a broken man tries to reconnect with his family after the horrors of WW2 in this deeply personal portrait of love, loss and a search for peace.

How to Bury a Dead Mule is the compelling and evocative story of Royal Irish Fusilier Norman Clements, following his time on the front line during WW2. Written and performed by Norman’s grandson, Richard Clements, this uniquely thought provoking performance was nominated for Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards following a brief 2022 run in Belfast.

Beautiful stagecraft, an original score, striking historical footage, family photos and Richard’s powerful performance, immerse us in Norman’s world. Moving between the past, present and future, How To Bury a Dead Mule, takes the audience on an affecting, imaginative journey into the heart of a man trying to regain a foothold in society.

Richard Clements, writer and performer, How to Bury a Dead Mule, said: “I sat down in lockdown one to write the show, in the back of my mind deliberately writing it for “Edinburgh length” having been at the Fringe in 2014 and desperately wanting to return. Our nomination for Best New Play at the UK Theatre Awards opens up a further path for the show and we are delighted to be able to perform it at the Fringe in 2023. It is a universal story for an international audience, one that keeps our recent past alive as well as drawing comparisons with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the recent Oscar winning movie “All quiet on the Western Front”.

“Above all it is a dynamic and beautifully imagined play, uniquely staged that will break hearts and mend them again.”

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