'In the Beginning was the End' at Somerset House

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Fri 01 Feb 2013 - Sat 30 Mar 2013

In the Beginning was the End is one of those unique theatrical experiences that must be experienced to be understood (and still probably won't be fully understood). In a production created by the acclaimed site-specific theatre company dreamthinkspeak, every audience members goes on a personal journey through new worlds created in the underground tunnels of London's Somerset House.



Inspired by Leonardo DaVinci's work and the book of Revelation, In the Beginning was the End uses immersive, site-specific theatre to ask a question: are we really in a world of development, or a world of collapse?

Audience members wander through the maze-like tunnels, discovering the futuristic company "Fusion" and experiencing their high-tech inventions that use machines to do the jobs of living things, like preparing a cup of tea or acting as a robotic pet. Journeying further, we discover that this life of materialism and technology is not as perfect as it seems, and that the humans behind these products aren't as in control as you might think.

Audience members can stay in groups or go on an individual journey throughout the many rooms and passageways, walking in and out of rooms that all serve as pieces of a puzzle to understand the production's narrative. Though the storytelling methods are abstract, the narrative and the message is not lost. The audience witnesses some pretty impressive spectacles, both through live performance, multimedia footage, and technology, while taking in the story.



Attending a site-specific, immersive production is such a unique experience that is completely different than attending a conventional piece of theatre. It's almost like being part of a "choose your own adventure" novel, being thrown into a different world and it's all yours to discover. Immersive theatre is fun for all ages (though because of plenty of nudity, this one is fun for ages 12 and up).

In the Beginning was the End is playing at Somerset House until 30 March. Due to high demand, this production is almost completely sold out, and information about tickets and returns can be found through the National Theatre's website here .

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!date 01/02/2013 -- 30/03/2013
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