'The Return', a play by Fredrik Brattberg, presents an unconventional exploration of grief and familial relationships through a repetitive narrative structure. Set in the living room of a couple who has lost their son, the play revolves around the unsettling scenario of the son returning home after death, only for the parents' feelings about his presence to shift from joy to discomfort and eventually to a yearning for his absence once again. This haunting cycle showcases the complexities of love and loss, probing into the darker corners of parental desire.

As the plot unfolds, the repetitive appearances of the son serve to illustrate the gradual deterioration of the family's emotional stability. Each reencounter distorts the initial feelings of relief and joy into anguish, boredom, and then a detached cynicism. Brattberg's strategy of using a musical fugue as a narrative device allows audiences to experience the evolution of the characters' emotions, highlighting how grief can twist the perception of even the most joyous reunions into burdensome reminders of what has been lost.

Directed by José Roberto Jardim and currently staged at Sesc Santana, 'The Return' invites viewers to reflect deeply on the nature of grief and the associations that come with the return of a loved one. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that the children's death can lead to complex psychological states for the parents, unraveling their relationship as they confront the memories intertwined with their child, ultimately evoking a sense of empathy and existential contemplation among the audience.