The themes were of loss and grief, and the complicated ways in which people deal, or fail to deal, with them. None of the three sisters depicted seem to be deeply engaged with what has happened to their mother at the start of the play, but things cut a bit deeper later on - and a hidden truth cuts deepest of all.
All three are unashamedly distracted by an upcoming wedding, or by ballet studies, or even by the promise of a Chinese meal coming to the door; they don't really connect with the need to sort out their mother's funeral until forced to do so by the rather discombobulating arrival of an all-too familiar clergyman who has been assigned to the task, and simultaneously reminds all of them of earlier times.In fact, we're given the impression that while the sisters have always been a close-knit group - at least insofar as they have been largely honest with each other - their mother has left them very much to live their own lives and has not been hugely important to them. All the more ironic then, that it is her need to control their relationship from beyond the grave, that causes them trauma and disconnection while holding out the promise of some sort of freedom.
There was an important 'flashback' scene which touched upon the loss of a relationship, later resolved in a way that had seemed impossible at the painful point of breakup; so perhaps a new grief can help resolve an old one.All four actors were convincing and naturalistic; there was no doubt about the strength of their purpose on stage. The play asked us to believe that there had been an accident; a car skidding on ice and a death, and that it was still brutally cold outside. As it happened, none of that was difficult to envision, since this was a day of cold, snow and difficult pavements in Oxford; which was undoubtedly one of the main reasons that there was such a small audience. I hope that the cast were not too upset by this, as they gave an excellent and engaging performance - it would be good to see this expert Company again.