“cutting remarks are constantly crossing the line between sarcastic quips and genuine cruelty”
Will Eno’s play may be titled ‘The Open House’ but as soon as the lights go up it feels like anything but. The tense atmosphere where every question feels like a landmine is recognisable to anyone who’s ever suffered through a family gathering. “Why are we like this?” asks the nameless daughter repeatedly, but there is no dramatic revelation of a family secret to answer this question. Rather than build to a moment of explanation for their strained relationships, as so many family dramas do, this family slowly fades away as each member departs.
After each character finds an excuse to leave the stage the actors return in an entirely new guise. Lindsey Campbell does a fantastic job of switching from the nervous daughter to the slightly too comfortable estate agent who breezes in and takes control of the scene immediately. Though Crispin Letts’ two characters feel less distinct than the rest of the cast he comes across as incredibly warm and likeable throughout.
Greg Hicks is terrific to watch as the bitter patriarch of this fractured family. His cutting remarks are constantly crossing the line between sarcastic quips and genuine cruelty, the audience is laughing one moment and gasping the next. His physical frailty (we learn he has suffered a stroke) becomes more obvious as each of his own family members is replaced by these newcomers. No longer is he surrounded by people used to submitting to his bullying nature, and thus he loses any sense of strength he may have felt.
The reflection of this new and more ‘open’ atmosphere is reflected cleverly within the set (Tom Piper). As the estate agent hurries around rearranging everything, the family’s neutral suburban living room goes from stiff and unwelcoming to comfortable and inviting. A piece of wallpaper is stripped to reveal the bright pattern suffocated beneath all the beige and the blanket resting on the father’s wheelchair-bound knee is thrown over the sofa for a splash of colour.
As each actor returns as a new character the title takes on new meanings. These strangers are here to discuss the sale of the house, but their friendly and open natures also drain the toxic atmosphere that the first half has built up. Though most of these people have just met they treat each other with more kindness than any of the family members had done.
The ending was slightly confusing, and I struggled to understand what message Eno was trying to convey. Replacing each character with a more positive, vibrant version of themselves was a great theatrical device but having no conclusion for the family members we had begun with made me feel rather frustrated.
Eno has done well to provide a new take on such an established genre, and ‘The Open House’ is worth seeing just to witness the cast portray wildly different characters.
● Neil Bartlett to direct his new adaptation of Albert Camus’ modern classic, THE PLAGUE
● RSC Associate Artist Greg Hicks to play the title role in William Shakespeare’s RICHARD III, directed by Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen
● Amy Draper to direct THESE TREES ARE MADE OF BLOOD, blending cabaret and original music to tell a vital story from Argentina’s Dirty War
● Lourdes Faberes to play TAMBURLAINE in Yellow Earth’s radical retelling of Christopher Marlowe’s classic, adapted and directed by Ng Choon Ping
● Helena Bell, Artistic Director of Kali Theatre, to direct the world premiere of READY OR NOT by Naylah Ahmed, as part of a UK tour
● Award-winning new play THE PULVERISED by Alexandra Badea to receive its UK premiere in a co-production by Arcola, Changing Face & York Theatre Royal
Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said:
“Arcola’s new season confronts tyranny – the tyranny of people by rulers (Richard III, Tamburlaine, These Trees), states of emergency (The Plague, Ready Or Not) and work in the global economy (The Pulverised). At a time when the world order is under strain – but also when ordinary people are feeling the strain of that change – these plays offer a chance to reflect on our afflictions, and on ways we might resist the worst excesses of power. In-keeping with Arcola’s commitment to diverse theatre, the season features new productions from leading BAMER companies Yellow Earth and Kali Theatre. Half of the shows are directed by women, including two original works by female playwrights.”
Studio 1
Studio 1 is now a fully producing house.
Arcola Theatre presents three productions this season:
5 April – 6 May 2017 Arcola Theatre presents
THE PLAGUE
based on La Peste by Albert Camus
Adapted and directed by Neil Bartlett
“April 29th; lunchtime. Found Mr Michel in the street outside the apartment. Walk unsteady. Eyes unnaturally bright.”
Dr Rieux is noticing things. A rat on the stairs, where it has no right to be. A sore throat becoming a fever. The first signs of panic. It all amounts to a troubling diagnosis… so what’s the cure?
The Plague is Albert Camus’ electrifying story about living through a time of crisis and fighting back against despair.
Written in the aftermath of the Nazis’ march across Europe, it struck a powerful chord with millions struggling to understand the fascist ‘plague’ that had just overwhelmed them.
Now, seventy years later, multi-award-winning director Neil Bartlett (Or You Could Kiss Me, National Theatre; Stella, LIFT) retells Camus’ classic for our own dangerous times. His frank and gripping new stage adaptation puts chaos under the microscope, and plants the germ of hope in the power of our common humanity.
Cast:
Joseph Alessi, Burt Caesar, Billy Postlethwaite, Sara Powell, Martin Turner
Lighting Design: Jack Weir
Sound Design: Dinah Mullen
Monday-Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3pm
Tickets £12-£22 (previews £10-£17)
11 May – 10 June 2017 Arcola Theatre presents
RICHARD III
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Mehmet Ergen
Cast includes Greg Hicks
King Edward is on the throne, and England is at peace. But don’t worry – it won’t be that way for long.
Gripping and outrageous, Shakespeare’s Richard III is the tale of a ruthless, power-crazed misogynist who lies and cheats his way to the highest seat in the land.
Following his celebrated performances as Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus and King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Greg Hicks takes on the role of the tyrant king Richard in this startling new production, directed by Arcola’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.
“I’ll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders before I’ll see the crown so foul misplaced.”
Further casting to be announced
Design: Anthony Lamble Lighting Design: David Howe
Photo by Alex Brenner
Monday-Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3pm
Tickets £12-£22 (previews £10-£17)
14 June – 15 July 2017 Arcola Theatre presents
THESE TREES ARE MADE OF BLOOD
Book by Paul Jenkins
Music and Lyrics by Darren Clark
Directed by Amy Draper
Original story by Amy Draper, Paul Jenkins and Darren Clark
“And for our next act … The Magical Military Junta … Will make 30,000 people disappear before your very eyes.”
1970s Argentina. A violent, right-wing dictatorship. Thousands of citizens, seized by the authorities, have “disappeared”.
Inside the country’s most disreputable club, a mother is about to risk everything to find her missing daughter.
Spectacular, arresting and totally unique, These Trees are Made of Blood blends cabaret and original live music to tell a vital, human story from Argentina’s Dirty War.
Step into Buenos Aires for this immersive theatrical experience, which pulls back the curtain on a secretive state, and shines the spotlight on a powerful act of resistance. Following a sold-out premiere in 2015, the cabaret coup reignites at Arcola for four weeks only.
Monday-Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3pm
Tickets £12-£22 (previews £10-£17)
Originally produced by Jim Croxford for Theatre Bench at Southwark Playhouse
Studio 2
15 March – 8 April 2017 Yellow Earth presents
TAMBURLAINE
by Christopher Marlowe Adapted and directed by Ng Choon Ping
A lowly shepherd rises to power – and conquers half the known world.
Tamburlaine is a breathtaking interrogation of power, masculinity and the limits of violence.
In his new adaptation for Yellow Earth theatre company, Ng Choon Ping directs a startling production with a British East Asian cast and live taiko drumming. Lourdes Faberes makes her Arcola debut as Tamburlaine.
As ‘strongman’ leaders exert their influence, and new power from the East asserts its growing dominance, Christopher Marlowe’s classic tale takes on a new urgency and relevance for our time.
“I mean to be a terror to the world”
Cast:
Melody Brown, Lourdes Faberes, Fiona Hampton, Susan Hingley, Amanda Maud, Leo Wan
Live taiko drumming by Joji Hirota
Design: Moi Tran Video Design: Gillian Tan Lighting Design: Neill Brinkworth Movement: Rose Ryan Dramaturgy: Stewart Melton Creative Producer: Kumiko Mendl
Photo by Suki Mok
Monday-Saturday at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3.30pm
Tickets £17 / £14 concessions (previews £12)
Tamburlaine is supported by the Cockayne Foundation and the Foyle Foundation.
11 – 29 April 2017 Kali Theatre presents
READY OR NOT
by Naylah Ahmed Directed by Helena Bell
Why would an ordinary retired teacher take a young Muslim man hostage in her living room?
In this timely political thriller from Naylah Ahmed (winner of the Royal National Theatre Playwrights Award), an innocent encounter soon develops into a dangerous game of hide and seek with the truth.
In a world of 24-hour news, is there any escape from fear? And how can we detect the real enemy at our gates?
Kali Theatre has been presenting groundbreaking new theatre by South Asian women for over 20 years. New Artistic Director Helena Bell directs this sharp, thought-provoking world premiere, arriving in London as part of a UK tour.
Cast:
Joan Blackham, Naeem Hayat, Natasha Rickman
Design: Rajha Shakiry Lighting Design: Katharine Williams Video Design: Daniel Denton Sound Design: Chris Drohan
Monday-Saturday at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3.30pm
Tickets £17 / £14 concessions (previews £12)
2 – 27 May 2017 Arcola Theatre, Changing Face and York Theatre Royal present
THE PULVERISED
by Alexandra Badea, translated by Lucy Phelps Directed by Andy Sava
“Stop the rat race. Stop time. Stop the money. Stop the anxiety. Stop everything that has made human beings so bitter.”
A quality assurance officer from France, a call centre manager from Senegal, a factory worker from China, and an engineer from Romania. Each leads a life apart, but all work round-the-clock for the same multinational corporation.
When work has no borders, what’s the cost? Alexandra Badea’s captivating drama is a powerful and disturbing portrait of globalisation and its far-reaching effects on our lives.
Following an explosive premiere at the National Theatre of Strasbourg, where it won the prestigious Grand Prix de la Littérature, The Pulverised arrives in the UK with a new English translation.
Cast:
Rebecca Boey, Richard Corgan, Solomon Israel, Kate Miles
Set and Costume Design: Nicolai Hart-Hansen Sound and Video Design: Ashley Ogden Lighting Design: Tom Smith Movement Director: Lanre Malaolu
Monday-Saturday at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3.30pm
Tickets £17 / £14 concessions (previews £12)
All productions are bookable directly with the Arcola Theatre:
