Britain's What's On Event Guide
Rostro x Eminem
When classical music meets hip-hop.
Rostro x Eminem is a solo performance piece — part concert, part play — that navigates the collision between two worlds: the universe of classical music and the raw, rebellious energy of hip-hop.
At its centre is Olivier, a young man raised under the weight of his father's dream — that he become a great cellist in the image of Mstislav Rostropovich. But Olivier hears something else calling him.
Through live music and storytelling, the show traces his coming of age — the pull between inheritance and rebellion, between who we are told to be and who we choose to become — building towards a decisive event that forces him to finally become the author of his own story. The cello is present throughout: sometimes the instrument his father demands he master, sometimes reimagined as a weapon of his own rebellion, put at the service of hip-hop.
Written, directed and performed by Olivier van den Hende
Running time: 60 minutes, no interval
Age guidance: 14+ (strong language)
Language: English
About the artist
Olivier van den Hende is a Franco-American actor, director, writer and classically trained cellist based in London. He trained at RADA. Screen credits include recurring roles on France Télévisions (Un si grand soleil, L'Or Bleu) and the Cannes Official Selection film 13 jours, 13 nuits (Pathé). He is co-founder of Le Garage, a small theatre in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Rostro x Eminem is his second solo show, following L'Instinct de Mort by Jacques Mesrine (Avignon Off 2024 and La Comédie Saint-Michel, Paris).
Rostro x Eminem is a solo performance piece — part concert, part play — that navigates the collision between two worlds: the universe of classical music and the raw, rebellious energy of hip-hop.
At its centre is Olivier, a young man raised under the weight of his father's dream — that he become a great cellist in the image of Mstislav Rostropovich. But Olivier hears something else calling him.
Through live music and storytelling, the show traces his coming of age — the pull between inheritance and rebellion, between who we are told to be and who we choose to become — building towards a decisive event that forces him to finally become the author of his own story. The cello is present throughout: sometimes the instrument his father demands he master, sometimes reimagined as a weapon of his own rebellion, put at the service of hip-hop.
Written, directed and performed by Olivier van den Hende
Running time: 60 minutes, no interval
Age guidance: 14+ (strong language)
Language: English
About the artist
Olivier van den Hende is a Franco-American actor, director, writer and classically trained cellist based in London. He trained at RADA. Screen credits include recurring roles on France Télévisions (Un si grand soleil, L'Or Bleu) and the Cannes Official Selection film 13 jours, 13 nuits (Pathé). He is co-founder of Le Garage, a small theatre in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Rostro x Eminem is his second solo show, following L'Instinct de Mort by Jacques Mesrine (Avignon Off 2024 and La Comédie Saint-Michel, Paris).
Tuesday 3 November and Wednesday 4 November
The Cockpit, Gateforth Street, London NW8 8EH
Date:Tuesday 3 November – 7:00pm
Wednesday 4 November – 9:00pm
Tickets
Full price: £16.45 (incl. booking fees)
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