Category: News

Many people go to the theatre to lose themselves in the production, to forget their everyday worries and troubles and be transported into another world. However, no kind of theatre transports an audience quite like immersive theatre. In immersive theatre, the audience are not merely passive bystanders. They are part of the story, however small their role may be, and they are in the middle of the action.

In an immersive theatre production, the audience in some way plays a role, whether that is the role of witness or the role of an actual character. They may be allowed to roam and explore the performance space as the performance happens around them, allowing them to decide what they see and what they skip. They might be herded from room to room so they see the key scenes. They might even be invited to become a more active part of the performance. The lines between performer and audience and between performance and life are blurred. The audience is placed within the environment of the story and therefore play witness front and centre to the events without the distancing factor of a proscenium.

However, this lack of separation can cause anxiety. If an audience member is not expecting to become part of the performance or is uncomfortable with that idea, it can be very off-putting so there must be some form of consent between the performer and the audience. Whether that’s the conscious decision to take a performer’s outstretched hand or knowing that one has the safety net of being able to back away from the performance, there must still exist some form of separation and boundaries between performance and audience for the benefit of everyone involved.

The origins of immersive theatre go all the way back to the beginnings of modern theatre in the 19^th century. Call-and-response, when a leader puts out a call and an audience calls back a pre-ordained response, has long been a concept in music, adding a participatory element. In the centuries that followed, things like murder mystery theatres and haunted houses also put their intended audience into an environment and allowed them choice in how they viewed the story. Even traditional proscenium theatre started to adapt some immersive or interactive elements. In 1985, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, required that the audience vote on who killed the titular character, spurring one of seven possible endings.

Well-known UK-based theatre company Punchdrunk are known as pioneers of the form of immersive theatre. While they have been producing immersive and promenade theatre since 2000 in the UK, they and immersive theatre as a genre meteorically shot to worldwide fame after Sleep No More, their 1930’s film noir adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, was unanimously well-received in New York.

Since the success of Sleep No More, countless immersive productions have popped up on both sides of the Atlantic. In New York, these include Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, a techno-rock musical adaptation of a chunk of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and Then She Fell, an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland set in a mental hospital. London’s immersive theatre scene has recently featured an all-night production of Macbeth in a block of flats; Leviathan, a production of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick in which the audience stands in for the crew of the ship chasing after the famed whale; and The Drowned Man, a combination of Georg Buchner’s Woyzeck and Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust set in a 1960’s movie studio and produced by Punchdrunk.

“Instructionally Invited” brings immersive theatre to the Space with the help of Gruff Theatre Company. Four people, known as the Beings, are unable to leave a church, but invite along the audience to partake in games and observation of their bizarre world. Come along to witness what happens when social conventions fall apart and become swept away in the madness that ensues. With so much immersive theatre going on in London, the Space is thrilled to be part of this engaging theatre trend.

Marianne Okamoto Richardson was the wife of the Space’s founder, Robert Richardson.  It was after Marianne’s untimely death in a tragic road accident that Robert set about his plan to transform the derelict former chapel into the Space.  At a similar time, the Marianne Okamoto Richardson Trust was established to provide music education and activities for young people.  Last year, the trustees took the difficult decision to dissolve the Marianne Okamoto Richardson Trust and bequeath the remaining funds to the Space.  St Paul’s Arts Trust, the charity that manages the Space, is extremely grateful to receive these funds and immensely honoured that the trust has asked us to carry on Marianne’s legacy.

It was such a busy and exciting year at the Space, we decided to invite a few friends over to review the events, news and people that made 2013 so special.  Space Productions staged The Suicide, Festen and The Grand Guignol, we gained a new Centre Adminstrator, Resident Casting Director and Theatre Directing Fellow and said a fond farewell to Mari Rettedal-Westlake, our Centre Manager of more than six years. The arts programme grew in strength with more tickets issued in 2013 than in any other year in our history, whilst the WorkSpace community theatre company received support from the RSC and the BBC.  We hope you enjoy listening to the Space’s first ever podcast and would like to say a big thank you to Keri Chesser, Damian Cooper, Neil Sheppeck, Andy Straw, Sandra Maturana, Isabel Dixon and Jodie Botha for joining Centre Director Adam Hemming to review the year.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.

You can read Danielle McIlven’s full statement regarding Festen here – Festen for podcast

Although the smallest theatre in Paris, The Grand Guignol, or “The Theater of the Big Puppet”, was one of the most memorable and popular of its time. Opened in 1897 by Oscar Metenier, over a span of 65 years the Grand Guignol produced thousands of one-act plays, infamous for their violent and erotic works of horror. During its first couple of years the theatre mainly focused on expressing a more naturalistic theme in each of its plays. A former police secretary, Metenier kept detailed accounts of all the horrible things he would witness throughout the streets of Paris. A follower of naturalism, he believed his own experiences could be used to depict the perfect illusion of reality that naturalism called for. Thus all of the notes he kept, combined with his knack for observing daily Parisian life, eventually served as the basis for some of his earliest works.

After serving two years as director for the theatre, Metenier passed on the reigns to Max Maurey. It was Maurey who shifted the direction of the theatre and sought to exploit a darker side, while still incorporating naturalism as a guiding principle. Under his guidance the Grand Guignol established a unique style of theatre that would become synonymous with its name and would lead to its classification as the ‘Theatre of Horror’.

Despite all his directorial success, Maurey is perhaps most notable for his discovery of playwright Andre de Lorde. He would serve as the main playwright for the Grand Guignol from 1901 until 1926, writing over 150 plays. Due to his need to exploit terror and insanity, de Lorde became known as the ‘Prince of Terror’. His biggest desire was to awaken the monster that resided in each of his play’s viewers.

Wanting to incorporate the study of psychology into his plays, de Lorde acquired the help of Alfred Binet, the man behind the modern IQ test. Together, they expanded the realm of possibility around plays about insanity.

Bringing all of these stories to life, Paula Maxa served as the lead actress in Grand Guignol productions. Her popularity quickly rose as a result of her ability to connect with each of the roles she played, along with her ability to evoke severe emotions from the audience. With the theatre from 1917 until 1928, Maxa became known as “The Princess of Terror” having been murdered on stage over 10,000 times and raped over 3,000 times.

In spite of all the exceptional writing, directing, and acting that occurred, Paul Ratineau served as the real magic of the Grand Guignol. Without his precise and life-like special effects, a performance could have easily turned into a comedic spectacle, ruining the theatre’s whole atmosphere. Ratineau would become one of the most influential players in his field, and developed methods of special effects and stage trickery now utilized throughout Hollywood.

Most of the plays performed at the Grand Guignol had a dark, gloomy setting and often depicted places that were suffocating and hopeless. Set in a converted chapel, the interior of the theatre provided a small, claustrophobic atmosphere that made the audience a part of the show as well. They sat so close to the stage that it was impossible to escape the gruesome violence occurring before their eyes. In this way the theatre, just like the settings of the plays, served as a fertile ground for self-awareness with the monster that lies within each of us. Resulting in only heightened emotional and sensational elements, many members of the audience would get sick or pass out during performances. This ability to discover the extent of one’s own inner darkness and the creation of an intimacy between the actors and the audience members were the reasons behind the theatre’s massive success.

With the onset of World War I and World War II propelling an increase in real-life horrors occurring in plain sight, attendance at the Grand Guignol began to dwindle. During its inaugural years, the theatre held a reputation for exhibiting terror that was believed to be impossible to recreate in real life. After revelations of the Holocaust came to light, it was the communal belief that the events and circumstances presented by the theatre could no longer match those presented by reality.

Although the Grand Guignol no longer exists, it has achieved a cult status around the world and has an influence on life even today. Known for its gory and life-like special effects, the Grand Guignol helped pave the way for modern-day Hollywood “slasher” films including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Steven Sondheim’s musical Sweeney Todd. In addition, in the English language any references made to a bloody spectacle or to a violent entertainment are generally referred to as a “Grand Guignol”.

Francis Kobayashi’s new play The Grand Guignol depicts the beginning and inner workings of the infamous Theatre du Grand-Guignol. Although not a fictional depiction of the real theatre or of its cast and crew, many of the characters behind the Grand Guignol’s success do factor heavily in Kobayashi’s play. Overall, it is written as if it were one of the original plays intended to be performed at the real-life Grand Guignol, and serves as a dramatic recreation of the glorious theatre.

Saranya Jagadish

The Grand Guignol runs from 15th October – 2nd November at the Space. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

The Space would like to congratulate the entire cast and creative team of Festen on their five-star reviews. You can read the View from the Gods and the Broadway Baby reviews.

In particular, we’re delighted to celebrate the achievements of our local community members in the production.

In addition to Space Production’s company of professional actors, Festen features two familiar faces from WorkSpace Productions, our community theatre company.

Jermaine Nwosu, age 23, brings a remarkable sensitivity coupled with a fiery spirit as Helene’s boyfriend, Gbatokai.  He was last seen showing off his swagger at the Space as Dean in There Is A War.  He’s one of WorkSpace’s newest members, and we’re delighted to have him.

Albert Lechley, a 79-year-old Isle of Dogs resident, offers comic relief from the drama as Festen’s clueless Grandfather.  He was singled out by Broadway Baby for his comedic timing. View from the Gods also gave him glowing praise for his bittersweet addition to the family discord:

“Albert Lechley […] makes an understated Grandfather, quietly sitting at the table for the most part, then reacting with utter confusion and sadness at the turn of events. The elderly man cannot understand exactly what is unfolding in front of him, age having won over, only gather all is not well. When traditional songs are heartily sung, Grandfather throws himself into these as well, the memory of what to do ingrained. It’s the new and unexpected that he cannot handle.”

Although this is Albert’s first role with a professional theatre company, he is no stranger to the stage.  In a recent conversation with the Space, Albert recalled how he discovered his talent for performing:

“I spent from around eight years old until I was sixteen years old in an orphanage.  Which meant that you had to ‘act’ in such a way that all the staff thought that you were a very good boy.  And I was an expert.”  To please the adults in his orphanage, Albert also learned to play the piano (“not very well,” he recalls) and perform magic tricks.  He even started his own “Punch and Judy” performances, an act that he continued into his adulthood.  Albert also worked as a stand-up comic for four years.

Albert recalled being thrilled when director Danielle McIlven offered him the role of Grandfather, but then became worried when he read through the rest of the script: “Such strong language, and the theme of violence beyond anything I had ever seen.”  When Albert walked into the first rehearsal and met the rest of the cast, though, his fears subsided and he eagerly accepted what has become a fantastic learning experience for him.  “I was so pleased just to be with them,” he said of Danielle and his castmates.  “Their art and skills, and the way they took me with them, was great.  And it made me try my very best to make Grandfather act and react as I (and Danielle) thought that he should.” Albert said that he couldn’t thank his cast and Danielle enough for their incredible support, guidance, and camaraderie throughout the process!

A retired lorry driver, Albert joined WorkSpace three years ago, and has become a beloved member of the Space family in that short time.  Albert last appeared onstage in WorkSpace Production’s There Is A War, and while audience members may remember him for his comical opening sequence, his friends at WorkSpace will always remember him as a gentle soul most likely to lend a hand with transporting props…or to make a mischievous joke in rehearsal.

Albert said of his three years with WorkSpace and Space Productions that he has “enjoyed every minute of it.  I think that it is really great that the Space is able to get the best out of all who enter.” Albert urges everyone to come and get involved with the Space: “Come on, all you out there, what are you waiting for?”

When asked if he has any plans after Festen, Albert replied with the usual twinkle in his eye, saying “I’m just waiting for the crew of Eastenders to realize that Albert Lechley is a Grandfather that they need.”

Congratulations Albert, Jermaine, and everyone involved with Festen!

There are only a few tickets left for the remaining performances of Festen (ends 19^th July…be sure to reserve your tickets with the Space now!