Pre-Paradise Sorry Now

By Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Translated by Denis Calandra
Directed by Ron Meadows
The Lantern Theatre
22nd March - 24th March 2012

Reviewed by Colin Serjent

It proved to be a memorable first visit for me to the Lantern Theatre venue on Blundell Street, based within the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool, with a chilling interpretation of human brutality, related to the infamous "Moors Murders" in England in the 1960s.

With a cast of 16 (all Second Year Single Honours students from Liverpool Hope University), including two playing the parts of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley - the others all wore, I am not sure why, white shirts and red ties.

It contained a series of fifteen scenes (the 'centres'), with the central plot revolving around the demented ravings and actions of Hitler admirer Brady, who wanted to set up a neo-fascist state.

Around them there is spun out a series of grotesque sub-plots involving prostitutes, transvestites, crooks and thugs, who enact cycles of violence and exploitation, representing the horrific actions of mankind, then and now. The heart of darkness indeed.

Some of the short scenes are repeated three times, but with the use of less physical activity after the initial one. This repetition did not add any gravitas to the play as a whole.

For more details about the Lantern Theatre go to www.thelanterntheatre.co.uk

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Sorry Comments Closed

Comment left by Ron on 28th March, 2012 at 17:22
The reason for the white shirts and red ties was to reflect what boys wear at their first Holy Communion in The Catholic Church. This was done as there was a 'slight' religious aspect in the text.