Two promising theatre performances this week at my favourite venues. The Catalyst Theatre from Canada brought us Nevermore to the Barbican – a dark and grotesque story of Edgar Allen Poe. I got tickets for it as soon as the tour was announced. Poe's life was extremely tragic and full of all woes one can imagine – death, disease, betrayal, alcoholism and poverty. The Catalyst Theatre promised to tell the story through gothic effects and rhymed songs. What a big disappointment it was! It combined all things one hates – circus miming, children's theatre and West End musical. The show was the last this season in the Barbican for me and what a terrible way it was to end an otherwise exciting year in this lively and diverse arts centre.
Another performance turned out to be as exhilarating as it was promised. In summer The National expands outside to the Southbank and fences off Square 2 for outdoors theatre from around the world. Thursday night was spent with Markeline from the Basque Country and their excellent show Carbon Club. From episodes of miners life (strikes, fires underground, friendships and girlfriends) they devise a narrative of 2 characters. Jose constantly dies in various accidents and Antonio, being secretly in love with Jose, always brings him back to life with a kiss. Markeline creates a mayhem with pyrotechnics, loudspeakers and the truly unexpected. When a burning trolley rolled into the audience at the beginning, people faces were marked with fear. Oh, what a look everyone had! Later we participated in a miners strike, in a striptease dance, in a wedding and a funeral. Carbon Club is a prime example of street theatre. Last week I mentioned Cloud Atlas in this blog, and all this week I kept spotting fellow travellers reading it on the Tube. What an influence! :)
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