Miriam's Dead Good Adventure

Miriam Margolyes confronts her fear of ageing and death to tackle our greatest taboo - our own mortality. She’s already met people who reject death - but what if you have no choice but to confront it?

In the concluding episode of Miriam's Dead Good Adventure, Miriam wants to know if we can ever be ready to meet death.

Miriam is keen to meet people who talk openly and frankly about the reality of dying. Miriam meets Tracy, who is living with terminal ovarian cancer. Miriam helps Tracy plan her wake and learns that knowing when you are going to die allows time to prepare for death.

Tracy’s forthright approach to dealing with cancer strikes a chord with Miriam. If you’re going to try and prepare for death, she concludes, maybe it helps to take matters into your own hands?

Miriam joins Coffin Club, a monthly meet-up for people seeking emotional and practical support while facing death. Miriam builds her own flat-pack coffin and paints it with her own unique design. By facing the future, Miriam realises that our end of days doesn’t have to be as scary as she feared.

However, many still struggle to confront their fear of dying. In San Francisco, Miriam meets Dr Phil Wolfson, a pioneer in hallucinogenic psychotherapy. He treats his patients’ anxiety about death with Ketamine, a horse tranquiliser and recreational party drug which is illegal unless administered by a doctor. Dr Phil believes that end-of-life anxieties can be reduced with the drug.

For some, preparing for death means controlling how and when it will happen. Miriam meets Dr Philip Nitschke in Amsterdam, who runs the controversial right to die movement, Exit International. He believes all rational people over 50 to have the legal right to end their lives. In his laboratory, Dr Nitschke demonstrates a prototype suicide pod called Sarco. Miriam hears his plans to share his invention, which he sees as a peaceful way for people to take control of their deaths.

Finally, Miriam meets Tyreese, an 18 year-old rapper with bowel and liver cancer. He is determined to fight his illness and refuses to consider preparing for death. Miriam recites a heartfelt rap Tyreese has written about his illness. As an aspiring footballer before he became ill, Tyreese takes Miriam to watch a local game. She realises that it’s Tyreese’s positivity that allows him to cling on to hope.

Pictured: Miriam and Tyreese

Publicity contact: DG2