STEPHEN Thornton is dead and not at all happy about it.

This is his story, as told by York writer-director Matthew Wignall and his cast of seven in An Interview In The Afterlife, a dark comedy of love, friendship, custard creams and suicide premiered by Wignall's company Off The Rock Productions in York next week.

"Stephen Thornton is not enjoying life," says Matthew, introducing the follow-up to last December's premiere of his anthology of five short plays, The Five Seasons, at the According To McGee gallery.

"He’s lost his job; his girlfriend has walked out on him and his middle name is Percival. Enter Farrington and Miranda. One promises friendship, financial security and a propensity to store fruit in alphabetical order, while the other offers love, support and kisses so intoxicating that they could’ve been sold at Woodstock."

Could this be the beginning of a beautiful new life for Stephen? Or is life wasted on the living? "The strange Ms Hope, who has been dead for over 90 years, is determined to find out," says Matthew, setting up his intriguing drama that will feature a cast led by Matt Pattison's Stephen, with Anna Rose James, Gemma Sharp, Andy Love, Teej Jackson, Elizabeth Lockwood and Charlie Voltaire in support.

Matthew was emboldened to write 'Afterlife' after the positive reaction to The Five Seasons. "It was a rewarding experience and I learnt a lot from it," he says. "It was good to see it come to fruition because, when I write, I tend to hoard it as it can't then be judged. I suppose it's cowardice to do that, so I went from one extreme to the other by giving the plays to five directors."

"Now, for this new play, I'm being flexible with the actors, telling them 'you know these characters better than I do', so for me it's about being less precious and continuing to learn."

Matthew's catalyst for 'Afterlife' was a desire to stretch his writing beyond his proclivity for the dark side of humour. "So I wanted to write something that makes you leave the theatre feeling good, but the problem with that is you can come up with something that's twee, saccharine and shallow," he says. "I think what I've written is funny in places but also, I hope, touching and tender."

Set in the afterlife, the play's 17 scenes are divided into eight told in flashback and nine in the afterlife, "which is basically an office". That image, the afterlife as an office, is typical of Matthew's twisted humour, applied even when the central character has committed suicide.

"The way I go about it, most of the things I write go down the route of comedy," he says.

Off The Rock Productions present An Interview In The Afterlife at The Fleeting Arms, Gillygate, York, tonight and tomorrow; The Basement, City Screen, York, August 28; all at 7.30pm Box office: ticketsource.co.uk/offtherockproductions; basementyork.co.uk

 Please note: this production contains language not suitable for younger children.