Outer Gaea Company to make their VAULT Festival debut with The Ballerina
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
FOLLOWING a sold-out New York premiere, Outer Gaea Company will make their VAULT Festival debut with the UK premiere of Anne-Sophie Marie’s The Ballerina.
Based on various stories of fractious relationships between intelligence services and diplomats, democracies and dictatorships and what we view as right and wrong, it runs from March 18 to March 22, 2020 (Week 8).
The play, shortlisted for Theatre 503’s 2016 Playwriting Award, explores the aftermath of colonial rule in an unnamed African country and the resulting destruction of a European presence within the continent, exploring how contemporary Western audiences consider, or don’t consider, the impact of their foreign policy around the world.
Set in a country not so far away, British diplomat Colin Clutterbuck is brutally arrested by the National Intelligence Agency. Thrown into a cell and accused of conspiring to overthrow the government, Colin fights back with wit and great British banter. Faced with infamous master interrogator Pacifique Muamba, the young diplomat is about to be painfully re-educated and taken to the brink of madness.
The sophisticated and intelligent Muamba represents the individuals behind dictatorships, and compels us to question, who are these individuals really and, more importantly, who could they have been?
Director James Scotland said: “Experimenting with Artaud’s theatre of cruelty, we’re exploring themes of violence that are unapologetic, inviting the audience to love, hate and most importantly, to question their own beliefs. We’re living in a time where, despite having access to a world of information, we’re still so unaware of the reality of global politics. And this ignorance in the form of a vote, contributes to the very cycles of violence (seen and unseen) that we wish to stop.
“Through the character of Pacifique, you’re introduced to the walking amalgamation of Paul Kagame, Andre Leon Talley and Karl Lagerfeld. The Ballerina celebrates the individuality of blackness where you least expect it; redefining Africanism imagery for a new generation.”
Outer Gaea Company is a London-based, international theatre company, with a mission to create theatre accessible to all. Multiculturally led, they strive to honour the theatre of ancient and unsung cultures whilst exploring contemporary stories with daring and resilience.
Casting has not yet been announced.
The Ballerina is suitable for ages 15 + (violence).
Tickets: £17 (previews March 18 and 19 £16). To book, call 0208 050 9241 or visit vaultfestival.com/.
Time: 9pm.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
VAULT Festival, Leake Street, Lambeth, London, SE1 7NN