Nikolai Erdman’s darkly comic satirical masterpiece is reimagined by Suhayla El-Bushra in contemporary urban Britain, with numerous parties gathering to bid for publicity of The Suicide of an apathetic no-hoper at the National Theatre Lyttelton.

Sam is out of options. He has no job, he’s claimed his last benefits, and he finds himself cooped up in a small, dilapidated flat with girlfriend Maya and her Mum. With a mountain of pressure building on his shoulders, he can only see the end.

But when news of his imminent demise gets out, Sam soon finds himself swamped by people desperate to capitalise on the seeming inevitability of his fate – and the swathes of publicity sure to come with it. From corrupt local politicians to kids trying to raise the number of views of their online videos, Sam seems worth more soon-to-die than actually alive. It scarcely matters what he actually wants.

Faced with the promise of immortality, what’s his life worth?

The Suicide is a provocative, fast-paced and very funny farce which questions the value of human life, and the values of those interested in it.