Having already penned a book about her grief, creator Jodie Atkinson has gone next level and converted the book into a show. And as shows go, this one is as raw and personal as it gets.

Having come out the other side of disaster in 2019, Atkinson has used the learnings from that experience to shine a spotlight on grief in all its manifestations – from losing the frosting from her first Mr. Whippy cone to visits from the Grim Reaper.

Jodie Atkinson: Have You Met My Grief? Photo © Ben Searcy

Atkinson’s teenage years were a formative experience in loss. The dream of a music career was shattered at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education when Atkinson realised that she was out of her depth.

A career with police was shut out when a nervous Atkinson literally chattered her way out of an offer. Marriage and children followed but then divorce after eight years and a sense of failure. At a crossroads in her early middle age, Atkinson feared that happiness might escape her. Enter Craig, the love of her life. His favourite piece of music might have been Too Drunk...