It was written as a third part of a trilogy named Things That Go Bump, uniting the cast of the first two plays: Haunting Julia (1994) and Snake in the Grass (2002).

It is about a recently bereaved widow, Beth, troubled by her family's misguided support and a late husband who won't leave her alone.

In 2002, a female companion piece was premièred, named Snake in the Grass, with a cast of three women in a play dominated by the ghost of the father of two of them (and a much less savoury character than Julia).

He first revealed he was working on a new play in July 2007[5] Originally titled Life After Beth (it was originally set after when Beth was the dead character), the title changed prior to its completion in that summer, and it was first publicly announced that the play would be performed as part of the 2008 summer season at the Stephen Joseph Theatre December 2007.

[7] Although Alan Ayckbourn would continue to write and direct for the theatre, and this wasn't quite his last new play whilst artistic director (the last one being a musical Awaking Beauty), Life and Beth was nonetheless seen as his farewell performance.

In keeping with the intention to combine the casts of the all-male Haunting Julia and all-female Snake in the Grass, there are six characters in the play.

Instead of returning from David's midnight mass, she was arrested by the police trying to climb a statue of Oliver Cromwell (the previous year's incident being her attempt to ride the reindeer lights).

Flatly refusing to consider Beth's suggestion not all of his help was wanted or that not all of their marriage was happy, he leaves, promising to come back tomorrow.

Connie, after returning from Mass, apologises with an annoying amount of worthlessness until Beth snaps and tells her, in the politest way, to shut up.

The original production at the Stephen Joseph Theatre had its first performance on 17 July 2008, and an opening night on 22 July April 2008,[8] featuring the following cast:[9] The production team were: This play, along with the other two Things That Go Bump plays Haunting Julia and Snake in the Grass toured to the New Vic, Stoke, retaining its setup in the round.

[10] All the original cast took part in the end-stage tour except for Ian Hogg and Susie Blake, replaced by Terence Booth and Eileen Battye respectively.

[9] Although the review of Life and Beth made mentions of Ayckbourn's upcoming departure as artistic director, they mostly concentrated on the play itself.

Michael Billington in The Guardian wrote "Few dramatists in history have painted a more devastating picture of the emotional damage wrought by bullying men," and described Martin's misguided affection for his girlfriends as "an instant image of a grisly inheritance".

Also, Sam Marlowe, writing in The Times, although acknowledging the links with Blithe Spirit, opined that the characters weren't that believable.

[13] And in the Financial Times, Ian Shuttleworth, whilst highlighting several positives in the play, somewhat unkindly suggested Gordon might be Ayckbourn's caricature of himself hanging around the Stephen Joseph Theatre long after he should have departed.