Working Title: The Orpheus Project&8207

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Mon 27 Jan 2014 - Thu 30 Jan 2014

Working Title: The Orpheus Project& #8207 ;



The Orpheus Project is a thought provoking play, written by Jonathan Young and David Hermann, performed at The Cholmeley Old Boys Club in Dalston Kingsland.

The venue is decorated with old stage props and the audience seating area is made up of mismatched arm chairs, sofas and dining chairs.

Although the surroundings were cluttered and slightly distracting at first, this array of random items did create an intimate atmosphere allowing the audience to feel part of the play.

This was also helped by the fact that actors acknowledged and engaged with the audience during the play, speaking to the them and at times even joining them on the sofas.



Young and Hermann have created a dystopian world in which London is plagued by a new and random wave of crime, intense paranoia and constant fear. A world where no one feels able to trust each other. A world which is corrupted, then policed and enforced, by 'The Corporation'.

It draws inspiration from aspects of Franz Kafka's 'Trial' and the mythology of Orpheus. But for me it also has an aspect of George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' about it due to the 'Big Brother' -esque references made in the second half.

Writer and director, Jonathan Young, uses a combination of music, soundscapes, movement and dance along with multimedia within the performance to break the play into recognisable sections between each character.

This also allows him to make the most of his two actors, Noah Young and Gabby Wong, who are responsible for playing the multitude of different characters seen in this play.



Young uses film clips to illustrate the news bulletins and messages which the audience are lead to believe are happening at the same time as the live play even though they are played by the same person.



The audience are introduced to a variety of characters during the play including an addicted musician and his rebellious pop star lover, a corporation worker and a corporation official. Of all the roles, these were the most dominant, and in my opinion, the most memorable and well executed. In particular, the role of corporation official (played by Gabby Wong).

'The Orpheus Project' ends abruptly, leaving the audience to ponder the topics it has touched upon and reflect on their own lives and choices based on what they experienced in the play.

NoMansTime Automatics, the production company responsible for 'The Orpheus Project', state that "This is just the beginning of a journey like no other... The possibilities are endless".

I look forward to seeing more in the future.



#theatre_reviews
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#january
!date 27/01/2014 -- 30/01/2014
%wnlondon