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Alistair McDowall's X
The Barn Theatre is proud to present a new production of X by Alistair McDowall, opening on 12th June.
X premiered at the Royal Court in 2016, where Matthew Greenbank saw it and was blown away. Now, he is directing this beautiful and challenging play at the Barn Theatre. Starting from a simple sci-fi premise, the piece develops into a fascinating and moving study of human beings under extreme conditions, where time loses its meaning, individual personality begins to melt, and language can slip away.
The setting is a far distant future, in which the Earth is ruined: there are no more trees or birds, South America is “gone”. A group of researchers from the third planet is stranded in a facility on Pluto. They have endured this situation for such a length of time, waiting for a signal from home that never comes, that they have lost the ability to measure temporal duration: it has simply been “a long time”. As the action unfolds, the characters face terrible choices in the face of existential anguish – what if no-one really is coming to save them?
Within this context, certain themes bubble to the surface. Ray (played by Paull Russell)) grapples with issues of leadership. Through the character of Cole (Dylan Huber) we are brought to question the value of science. Clark (Ben Merry) carries terrible memories of the how the Earth’s ecosystem has been degraded. Mattie {Calypso Powell) brings a special tenderness to questions of community and care. At the centre of it all is Gilda (Jessica Drucker), the closest the play has to a central character, whose interactions with the other team members hold the piece together. In one extraordinary segment, Clark and Gilda together undertake a journey through grief that is too deep for words.
Note: the play contains strong language and themes of psychological distress that may be upsetting to some people.
X premiered at the Royal Court in 2016, where Matthew Greenbank saw it and was blown away. Now, he is directing this beautiful and challenging play at the Barn Theatre. Starting from a simple sci-fi premise, the piece develops into a fascinating and moving study of human beings under extreme conditions, where time loses its meaning, individual personality begins to melt, and language can slip away.
The setting is a far distant future, in which the Earth is ruined: there are no more trees or birds, South America is “gone”. A group of researchers from the third planet is stranded in a facility on Pluto. They have endured this situation for such a length of time, waiting for a signal from home that never comes, that they have lost the ability to measure temporal duration: it has simply been “a long time”. As the action unfolds, the characters face terrible choices in the face of existential anguish – what if no-one really is coming to save them?
Within this context, certain themes bubble to the surface. Ray (played by Paull Russell)) grapples with issues of leadership. Through the character of Cole (Dylan Huber) we are brought to question the value of science. Clark (Ben Merry) carries terrible memories of the how the Earth’s ecosystem has been degraded. Mattie {Calypso Powell) brings a special tenderness to questions of community and care. At the centre of it all is Gilda (Jessica Drucker), the closest the play has to a central character, whose interactions with the other team members hold the piece together. In one extraordinary segment, Clark and Gilda together undertake a journey through grief that is too deep for words.
Note: the play contains strong language and themes of psychological distress that may be upsetting to some people.
Fri 12 Jun, Sat 13 Jun, Mon 15 Jun to Sat 20 Jun
Barn Theatre, Handside Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 6ST
X runs at the Barn Theatre from Friday 12th to Saturday 20th June, evenings 8pm, matinee on 20th June, 2.30pm. Tickets cost £16.
Organised by
Barn Theatre Club, Welwyn Garden City
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