MONSTER, GUARDIAN, HUMAN, INNOCENT, HERO.
EACH MAN KILLS THE THING HE LOVES
The Ballad of Reading Gaol was the poet and writer Oscar Wilde's final work. From celebrated playwright and society figure to a broken man dying in exile in Paris, Reading Gaol is a heartrending exploration of the deprivation of liberty, a spectacular fall from grace and a soul-searching quest to hold onto the shreds of humanity during one man's darkest hour.
This adaptation of Reading Gaol uses the power and grotesque beauty of Wilde's words to tell the story of the punishment and deprivation experienced by prisoners at the turn of the century in direct contrast to the wit and triviality of some of his comedic work. Featuring Wilde's original poem about the execution of a convicted solider remixed with five brand new pieces of writing and physical theatre commissioned for this production, we plunge headlong into the abyss of incarceration, despair and hope experienced by five prisoners in one of England's most notorious jails. From the grime of Victorian England to the Forests of Africa and back, this production tells a story which goes from the depths of one man's black heart to the brightest hopes of another in a hopeless quest for salvation.
Proforça Theatre Company presents a visceral new staging of Oscar Wilde's haunting and evocative piece which explores oppression, censorship, and conformity in an increasingly conservative society with themes which are as relevant to us in our world today as they were over 100 years ago. Bigger, braver, and more confrontational that before, we are delighted to be bringing a new staging of this production in an "event" style format to Theatre N16 at its brilliant brand new home @Styx for six special performances this July.
Reading Gaol is adapted from "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde with new material by James Lewis, Simon Marshall, Erin Read and Catrin Keeler. It is directed by David Brady, Associate Director Erin Read and produced by Gemma Wray. Full casting will be announced very shortly.
Proforca Theatre Company is a fringe theatre company based in London. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ProforcaTheatre. Visit our website at www.proforca.co.uk
Theatre N16 can be found at www.theatren16.co.uk and @TheatreN16. It's Artistic Director is Jamie Eastlake.
Running Time: 110 mins Approx. (15 Minute Interval)
Contains Adult Themes & scenes of violence.