London South Bank University students take to stage for short season of classics
LSBU's student theatre company open their short winter season tomorrow with The Bacchae by Euripides, followed by Shakespeare's Macbeth next week.First produced in 405 BC, The Bacchae is a tragedy about what happens when people try to exclude the irrational, chaotic and unseen from their lives. Directed by Jon Lee of Dirty Market Theatre, the play opens tomorrow evening with additional performances on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 January.
In staging the play, the company have taken inspiration from 'Butoh', a Japanese underground dance form; the Punk movement, particularly in honour of Pussy Riot; and the Manson family, the notorious group of 'everyday' girls who fell in with a psychotic charismatic leader.
Macbeth follows next week, 22–24 January, directed by Simon Pittman of Rough Fiction Theatre Company. A play of contradiction and ambition, visions and hallucination, Macbeth will kill all and any that stand in the way of his ambition to be king. Choral singing, drumming and a high-octane physical score will draw you into a nightmare-like world where husband and wife are consumed by a game of power that slowly destroys them.
Both productions are in Edric Theatre at LSBU's Southwark campus and start at 7pm. Tickets are £8 or £5 with concession and can be purchased at the door (subject to availability) or reserved in advance: telephone Gill Foster on 020 7815 5419 or e-mail fosterg@lsbu.ac.uk.