Let’s play a game we like to call 'On-Trend Theatre Bingo'. We’ll mention certain aspects of an upcoming theatre show, you let us know when you’ve reached On-Trend Theatre Bingo. Ready?
- Site-specific
- Immersive
- Re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus
- Kickstarter funded
- Set in Peckham …
- … in a multistorey car park
- With beatboxing
- And parkour
Did you bingo? Are you ready to cash in? Read on.
It may tick more than a few ‘trendy’ boxes but then The Theory of Everything — the theatre company bringing this production of Titus to Peckham’s multistorey car park (yes, the exact same one that’s home to the rooftop Frank’s Cafe) — say “live theatrical spectacles that pull together artists, practices and ideas from different disciplines” are their bread and butter.
Whether this meshing of practices works as a whole remains to be seen (31 August is your first chance to watch this Titus). The Theory of Everything is certainly taking casting seriously, employing a mix of classical actors, dancers, beatboxers, free runners and even a community chorus to ensure each genre is well represented.
We’re imagining a timeless tale of greed and revenge teamed with the violent energy of breakdancing and chaos of free running, set to a mechanical churning beatboxing soundscape, all held against a brutalist backdrop of concrete nothingness. It really could be glorious, and the interdisciplinary nature should result in a truly mixed audience: traditional theatre goers, local school groups, dance troupes, musicians, perhaps even some Shakespeare purists, all finding something to enjoy.
But can The Theory of Everything nail it all down into one cohesive performance? And will it be a worthy follow-on from the Globe's recent Titus success? Reaching their funding target with only minutes to spare, it certainly seems the theatre group is used to pressure. And car park car crash, or run-away success, we’re looking forward to finding out.
Titus Andronicus is on at Peckham Multistorey Car Park (entrance at Level 6/7), 95a Rye Lane Peckham, SE15 9ST London from 31 August until 21 September (but not every day). Tickets cost £19.50/£10.
